Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura
by DarkSlash9
Summary: When Ash Ketchum is "killed" by an unforeseen attack, both May Maple and Serena Yvonne are beyond devastated. 5 years later, Ash returns, but he's not the same Ash they once knew; He's smarter, he's stronger, and he's got a mission from Arceus himself. Follow him and his band of chosen ones as they save the world! And sort out their love lives... Advance vs. Amour! Visorshipping!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! I'm DarkSlash9, and welcome to Pokemon: Fellowship of the Aura. This story is a remake of The Struggle of the Aura, a story that I discontinued in the past. If you happened to have read the original story, then you are going to notice a sizable amount of major differences right from the get-go. If you're new to this story, well, it'll just be a new story to you! Either way, I hope you all enjoy it!  
**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own pokemon.**

* * *

 **I**

* * *

The World of Pokemon. A world gifted with the wondrous gift of over 700 creatures, all of unique size and behavior. Running through the prairies, trekking the deserts, soaring between the clouds, lurking in the deep, a vast array of beautiful pokemon can be found just about anywhere. These majestic creatures are said to have all originated from Arceus, the first pokemon in recorded history. Living off the never-ending bounty of the world, pokemon live to survive, make friends, and build bonds with the only other race that inhabits the world with them:

Humans.

But unlike pokemon, humans are violent by nature. It is through mental discipline that some come to emulate the docile nature shown by their pokemon counterparts. Never satisfied, humans have often given into the thirst for power inside, creating the concept known as war. Since their conception, humans have engaged in this phenomenon. Wars over land, power, food... anything that gave them the excuse to fight and take the lives they had no right to take. Unfortunately, the pokemon of this world were often pulled into these trivial conflicts, losing their lives in the battles they never wanted to fight.

Having seen the bloodshed of both mankind and his pokemon brethren, the all-powerful Arceus decided it was high time for a change. With his divine power, he cast down an unimaginable power, Aura, to the purest humans and pokemon in the land, hoping these chosen ones would be able to end the senseless conflicts that seemed to be slowly painting the world a morbid shade of crimson. With the power to bend the essence of life itself in their hands, these select individuals became the first Aura Guardians, servants of Arceus and defenders of peace.

Through the Aura Guardians' unyielding efforts through countless centuries, the world slowly began to take a more peaceful route, one that seemed to promise a future free of conflict...

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Once again, the darkness of humanity that the Aura Guardians had worked so very hard to contain began to boil and fester, unleashing itself in the form of a young Guardian by the name of Brecht. The son of two powerful Aura Guardians, he had been born a prodigy, his skills in the ways of the Aura unrivaled by those of his age. Having reached full mastery of Aura by the age of 14, the darkness and greed in Brecht's heart was only fed by the respect he was given by many elders and commoners at such a young age. Once he reached the age of 31, the evil inside had reached a breaking point.

Consumed with self-adoration and lust for even more power, Sir Brecht's Aura became tainted, changing from brilliant blue to blood red. With his unfathomable level of skill, he conjured a dark army of demons, imps, and spirits, preparing to set the plans he'd made over the years into action. He wanted nothing less than complete control over the entire pokemon world, and he resolved to defeat all that were in his way. The Aura Guardians learned of his plot, and knew he had to be stopped... no matter the cost. It was a long discussion, but in the end, a decision was made:

For the first time in over a thousand years, humanity would be thrown into another war.

Having been stripped from his title at the start of the war, Sir Brecht gave himself a new one: Master Brecht, the Aura Warlord. Leading his armies into every battle, Master Brecht's immense power proved to be instrumental in his war against the forces of good, often tipping the scales back in his own favor whenever the Aura Guardians had gained the upper hand.

The war lasted for 9 years. 9 years defined by senseless bloodshed and loss of innocent life. Countless Aura Guardians fell in battle, ending their blessed bloodlines. In the final days of the war, it became all too clear that the Aura Guardians were on the losing side. Their numbers dwindled, while the followers of Master Brecht, the Dark Guardians, ravaged the land, dancing in the blood of their fallen foes.

On the final day of the war, Master Brecht and his Dark Guardians closed in on the Corridors of the Aura, a large temple where the last remaining Aura Guardians remained. Waiting for death, the Guardians stood in the Corridors, preparing to go down fighting for the will of Arceus. But the Dark Guardians never came. A bright light shone from the heavens, and from the clouded and thundering sky emerged Arceus. The Aura Guardians rejoiced at the sight, expecting the divine pokemon to do something unbelievable like bestow them with the power of a thousand suns or vaporize Brecht and the Dark Guardians right then and there.

Alas, Arceus did neither of those things. Unable to directly kill any man, woman, or pokemon, the best Arceus could do was seal Brecht and his army away, locking them in the rift between time and space, also known as the Distortion World. Unable to resist the pull of Arceus's power, Brecht and his armies were sucked into their prison, ending the war.

But Arceus was not done.

The divine pokemon turned to the 5 surviving Aura Guardians, who stood on the steps of the Corridors of the Aura. Gesturing for them to come, the Guardians complied, kneeling before Arceus. It was then that Arceus instructed the Guardians on what was to happen.

 _"I thank you for your valiant efforts. You and your fallen brethren have served me better than I could have ever requested. In gratitude for your actions, I have dealt with Brecht and restored peace. But this peace is not eternal. I am unable to directly kill any living thing. Brecht and his demons still live, but in an alternate dimension. There, they are sealed, and the seal shall hold for the next 10,000 years. In these 10,000 years, their seal will be watched over by two entities: Giratina, my son and inhabitant of the Distortion World, and the Corridors of Aura itself. With my power, I shall transport the Corridors into the rift between time and space. You surviving Guardians shall remain on this Earth, preparing for the day Brecht returns."_

"My lord," started Sir Maple, one of the Aura Guardians. "Who shall inhabit the Corridors if we are to stay here? And how can we ready ourselves for the return of Brecht?"

 _"From now on, should an Aura Guardian fall, their soul is to be sent to the Corridors of the Aura, where they shall be given another life, a life much longer than the first. The Guardians in the Corridors will watch over Brecht's seal alongside Giratina, while you Guardians on Earth will do as you always have been: defend all that is good. You need not worry about how to prepare for Brecht's return. All you must do is ensure the survival of the Aura Guardians til that day comes. You five are the last remaining Aura Guardians in the world. Sir Hylus, Sir Maple, Sir Gen, Sir Ketchum, and Sir Arlon... do everything in your power to ensure the survival of your bloodlines. For one of you are the ancestor of the Aura Guardian destined to defeat Brecht and restore balance to the Aura."_

"Yes, my lord!" answered all five Guardians in unison.

Arceus nodded, having said all he needed to say.

 _"Goodbye, my Guardians. Do not forget what I have told you."_

And with that, both Arceus and the Corridors of the Aura vanished in a flash of light, leaving the 5 Aura Guardians with their mission: continue their work as Aura Guardians, while ensuring that their bloodlines continue. They were to teach their children about Brecht and the ways of the Aura, and were to teach their children to do the same to their own offspring. The 5 Guardians spread across the regions of the world, continuing on with life. They all perished protecting the delicate flower that was peace, but by the time their lives had ended, they had all spread their skills and knowledge to their descendants, ensuring a safe future.

...

But the 10,000-year seal is weakening, the time for the chosen Aura Guardian to rise and defeat Brecht coming near. Humanity had enjoyed over 9,000 years of relative peace, save for a few conflicts that were eventually calmed by descendants of the 5 Guardians. The Hylus, Maple, Gen, Ketchum, and Arlon clans had ushered the world into an era of peace... but at the cost of many of their lives. Only a few Guardians remain on the Earth, and only 5 remain in the Corridors. With such little numbers, how can they possibly be ready for Brecht's return? Not only that, but the Chosen Guardian destined to bring balance is still but a teenager... one that barely knows neither the ways of the Aura nor the grand past associated with his last name...

* * *

...

"Salamence is unable to battle! The victor is Hawlucha!"

The crowd erupted into cheer as a green-haired teen returned his Salamence into its pokeball with a sad smile.

"Maybe next year..." he sighed, putting the ball in his pocket.

He looked across the field, watching as the Hawlucha that defeated his strongest pokemon ran back to its raven-haired trainer. The Wrestling Pokemon jumped into its trainer's arms, allowing itself to be bear hugged by its trainer, who was just as ecstatic as he was.

"That was amazing Hawlucha!" exclaimed the 17 year-old trainer, almost shaking in joy. "We did it! We won the Kalos Conference!"

"Lucha!"

The trainer continued congratulating his pokemon until he realized his opponent was not on the other side of the field, but standing right in front of him, smiling. He immediately put his Hawlucha down, knowing from experience how important it was to be a good sport in a situation like this.

"That was a great battle, Sawyer. I can't wait to battle you again!" said the trainer, outstretching his hand.

"Likewise, Ash." replied Sawyer, shaking Ash's hand. "Good luck taking on the Elite Four! Are you going to battle them immediately or are you going to take the optional 3 months to train?"

"I already decided yesterday that if I won I'd take 3 months off, so I'll be doing that. I want my team to be as strong as possible when I battle Malva, Siebold, Wikstrom, and Drasna."

"Good choice. They're all crazy strong, but I know you can do it!" said Sawyer, taking his leave.

"Thanks, Sawyer!" called Ash, waving goodbye to his rival.

With his rival gone, only Ash and Hawlucha remained on the field, the crowd's deafening cheers for them and only them. It was a feeling completely new to Ash, the feeling of absolute victory. So many times had he come so far, only to come up short at the time he needed to perform the most. But now he was the victor, and it only took him 7 years, 6 regions and countless losses and failures to do it.

 _"No time to rest though,"_ he thought, his signature competitive smile stretching across his face. Diantha, the Champion of Kalos, and a group of officials approached the stage, a shiny gold trophy in Diantha's hands. Ash approached the group, planning on meeting them half way. _"We still have four elites and a champion to train for."_

* * *

...

After the award ceremony, Ash was finally allowed to leave the battlefield. The people that composed the massive crowd had all gone home, leaving the building rather quiet. Before Ash was allowed to leave, he had to be briefed on what he was to do next in order to become Champion, but of course, he already knew everything he was told. As soon as he was dismissed, he made his way to his locker room, expecting to see a certain someone there. Trophy in hand, he walked through the halls of the stadium, trying to remember where exactly his locker room was.

 _"Pretty sure I make a left from here aaaannndddd..."_ Ash turned left and opened the nearest door. " _bingo."_

The room was very simple; a wooden bench and a couple cubbies for Ash to store his belongings. Being honest with one's self, it was more of a _cubby_ room than a locker room. It didn't take long for Ash to grab his backpack, put his trophy in it, and exit the room, his next destination being not a place, but a person.

"Well, seems like she wasn't in the locker room... Where could she be?" he murmured to himself, keeping his eyes peeled for the sole friend that had come to the battle with him.

Deciding she'd most likely be in the lobby, Ash went there, and sure enough, she was there. Her back was turned to him, so she wasn't aware of his presence. On her shoulder was Pikachu, the mouse pokemon's head bandaged from a nasty injury it received early into Ash's epic battle with Sawyer. She seemed to be waiting for him, and from her body language, it was obvious she was excited. She was twisting from left the right and vice versa repeatedly, and from what Ash's view provided, it seemed like her hands were clasped together.

Ash sighed in adoration, but then paused, realizing he had just sighed in _adoration._

 _"Man, ever since Clemont and Bonnie had to leave us to go back to the Lumiose Gym... I can't stop looking at her. I'd be lying if I said I didn't begin to see her in a different light when she became the only person traveling with me... I've never traveled with just one person - let alone a girl - for an extended period of time... but does this mean I like her? Hm, I mean... she **is** really pretty... she **does** have her own goals that she's working hard to reach... and she has a **great** personality... and most of all, she's been my #1 supporter since we met at the Santalune Gym... those are the things you're supposed to look for in a girl, right? Maybe I should talk to Gary about this... Actually, no, he'd probably take things too far. I'll talk to Brock instead, he's a little more matur-"  
_

The 17 year-old girl suddenly turned around, both her and Pikachu's faces lighting up as soon as they saw Ash in the corner of the lobby. Ash once again found himself without any choice but to admire her features as she approached him. She was absolutely stunning, and it took Bonnie and Clemont leaving the two of them alone for him to realize it. Her eyes were by far his favorite part; two beautiful sky blue circles that seemed light up whenever they looked at him.

 _"Yeahhhh... I like her... a lot."_ he thought, awkwardly smiling as his friends got closer and closer.

"Ash!"

"Pikapi!"

"Um, hi Serena, hey Pikachu." answered Ash sheepishly, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head.

But before the hand could reach his hair, Serena's arms wrapped around him, effectively locking the upper half of his body in an iron grip. Pikachu climbed from Serena's shoulder onto Ash's, rubbing his cheek against his trainer/best friend's face. Ash smiled, enjoying the embraces of the two friends that had been there for him from the start of his Kalos journey to the end.

"Congratulations!" squealed Serena, removing her head from Ash's shoulder in order to look at him. "You were amazing out there!"

"Thanks, heheh." replied Ash, his cheeks slowly but surely becoming redder and redder. "You were too."

"At what?" asked Serena, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything."

"Um, _cheering_. You were amazing at cheering for me. I could literally feel the support." said Ash quickly, trying to make sense of his words. _"Dammit."_

"Oh, well, um, yeah, that's what friends are for, right?" answered Serena, noticing how pink Ash's cheeks were. Suddenly she began to feel her own face heat up. _"Is he blushing... because of **me**? Am I making him uncomfortable? Crap! I'm still on him! I've been hugging him for too long!"_

Serena quickly let go of Ash, noticing how close she had been to him during their short conversation. Her arms had been around him the whole time, and her face was just a few inches away from his own. In all honesty, she was surprised she hadn't caught herself sooner; she was usually a lot more attentive when it came to making any type of physical contact with Ash whatsoever.

After the two separated, they kind of just looked at each other with painfully awkward smiles, neither really knowing what to do or say next. Pikachu looked back and forth between the two, quickly picking up on what was going. It was cute and all, but it was time for them to leave, and if nothing was done, the two would probably spend the next couple hours staring at each other in the same goofy manner.

"Chu."

At the sound of Pikachu's voice, both teens snapped out of their trance, nervous chuckles and hums echoing around the lobby.

"So... we should probably go back to the Pokemon Center, right? I need to ask Nurse Joy heal my pokemon, you need to pack up your stuff from the room we rented... and I have to call my mom on the video phone."

"Y-yeah, totally."

...

 _10 minutes later..._

The walk to the pokemon center was spent talking about Ash's win. Serena had told him her favorite parts of the battle, and also told him of the few times he made mistakes. Taking both the compliments and constructive criticism, Ash thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. Not only did talking about the battle help alleviate the awkward feeling in the air, it reminded him of why he liked Serena so much. She genuinely cared for his battles, almost as if they were her own. She wasn't the most experienced when it came to battling, but somehow she was able to give great advice on it. It almost felt like with her by his side, he could accomplish anything.

Little did he know, Serena felt the same way. If not for Ash's constant encouragement, her dream to win the coveted title of Kalos Queen would have ended before it even started. But thanks to his support, her dream was still alive and well, the rookie Pokemon Performer making it all the way to the top 8 of the Master Class tournament. Not getting first place in the tournament had no effect on her, since immediately after her loss, Ash told her of his various losses in league tournaments.

As the pair entered the Pokemon Center, she remembered Ash's description of his loss in Sinnoh.

 _"I was a good sport afterwards, but looking back, that was some major bullshit. I put together a killer team, and then this grown man with a perm named Tobias comes with a fucking Darkrai and a Latios! What was a guy like that doing in a league tournament anyway?! If he has enough skill to catch two legendaries then he should be doing something more up his alley like ending world hunger or solving the energy crisis! Not crushing the dreams of teenagers!"  
_

Serena giggled; After hearing that, she didn't feel nearly as bad about losing.

"What's so funny?" asked Ash, handing Pikachu and his pokeballs to Nurse Joy.

"Oh nothing..." said Serena. "I was just thinking about how lucky you were that Sawyer didn't have a Darkrai and a Latios."

"Ah, Tobias..." said Ash, turning around to get his pokeballs back from Nurse Joy. When he turned back to Serena, his facial expression was a little darker than before. "He was weird. I didn't know back then, but his sudden appearance was really a concern to some people. Before the Lily of the Valley conference, nobody had even heard of him. And then right afterwards, he disappeared."

"Disappeared? How?"

"Not sure..." started Ash. "Apparently he just fell off the face of the Earth. Nobody was able to track him or anything. They couldn't even locate the signal from his pokedex. I don't know what happened, but it's definitely something creepy. It was already odd that he had two legendary pokemon under his command... and then he just vanishes? He was definitely one shady dude."

"That is pretty creepy..." agreed Serena. She then pouted, folding her arms. "Darn it, Ash! Why did you have to tell me that?"

"Sorry if it scared you, I was just saying. People don't just disappear like that." said Ash, walking towards the video phone. Ash typed his mother's phone number into the keypad, waiting for his mother's face to show up on the screen. "Anyway, I'm gonna talk to my mom. You can go up to the room if you want."

"Alright." answered Serena walking away. "Let me know when you're done on the phone, I want to call my mom too."

"Sure thing, Serena." replied Ash, right as someone's face appeared in the screen. He could've sworn he called his mother's phone number... yet his mother wasn't the one on the screen. Instead of Delia Ketchum, a brown haired teen was on the screen. He had a huge smile on his face, obviously very happy to see Ash. But Ash wasn't all that happy to see him, more confused if anything. "What are you doing in my house?"

"Oh, so you think now that you've finally won a league tournament you can just speak to me anyhow?" asked the person. "I'm hurt, Ashy-boy."

"Whatever, Gary. What are you doing in my house?" repeated Ash.

"Calm down, I'm not the only one here. Everyone's here. We all came over to watch your battle with Tom Sawyer or whatever the guy's name was on TV. It was pretty hard to find a channel that was showing it since Kalos is pretty far from Kanto but we found a channel right at the second to last battle. The one where that Salamence beat your Talonflame."

"Everyone's there? What do you mean by everyone?" asked Ash, raising an eyebrow.

"Me, Gramps, Tracey, Misty, Ritchie, Brock... y'know, the OG Kanto crew." answered Gary. "Congrats on the win, man. I'd call your mom over to come talk to you, but she's kind of busy right now. You see, Misty's been a little under the weather lately and she kind of vomited all over the-"

"Okay okay, I get it." said Ash, not wanting to hear the end of the sentence. "You said Brock is there, right?"

"Yep."

"Put him on the phone please." said Ash seriously.

Instead of getting Brock like Ash asked, Gary looked at Ash, the smuggest of smirks slowly creeping across his face.

"This is about that Serena girl, isn't it?" asked Gary, eyes narrow.

"How did you-"

"Oh Ashy-boy, you're just too easy to read when it comes to stuff like this. What else would you need advice from _Brock_ for? Lemme guess, you're all over this Serena character? Want to be her man?"

"I'm not 'all over her'." said Ash, looking around to make sure she wasn't in the room. She was nowhere to be found, but he decided to lower his voice to a whisper anyway. "I just like her... a lot."

"Same thing. Anyway, I'm guessing you need advice on what to do with her now? In regards to the fact that you're probably gonna have to separate soon?"

"...yes." sighed Ash.

"Haven't you been in this exact situation before with-"

"Stay on topic. We're talking about Serena right now." snapped Ash.

"Alright alright... geez. Well, here's what you should do, you should-"

"Gary, I don't want your advice." said Ash flatly. "You're just going to tell me to do something that _you_ would do in this situation. I'm not a womanizer like you, so I'd rather take advice from someone like Brock or Tracey, guys who actually see women as, y'know, _human beings_ and not fun objects to touch and look at."

"Hey, no need to be an ass. I'll have you know I am _not_ a womanizer anymore. I've had the same girlfriend, Leaf, for 7 weeks now, which is an all-time record for me, and I don't plan on breaking up with her any time soon. Not only that, but I haven't even cheated on her either! Being with her has taught me that women aren't what I used to see them as. I'm a changed man, Ashy-boy, now shut up and listen to my changed man advice."

"*sigh* I'm listening."

"You need to bring her back to your place-"

"I thought you said you were changed ma-"

"You know what'd be great?" asked Gary, growing irritated. "If you let me finish my sentence. Anyway, you take her home. And by take her home, I mean exactly what I said. Take her here, your house. And before you ask how, here's how. Invite her to a party that you're throwing in celebration of your victory. Don't throw the party of course until a day or two after you two arrive in Kanto. In that 1-2 day time is your window of opportunity to tell her. Take her around, show her a good time. Then take her to my Grandpa's summer camp grounds, where I hear you two met. That's when BAM! You kiss her."

"Kiss her?!" asked Ash, eyes wide. "I can't do that! I don't even know if she likes me back..."

"You dense dolt, of course she likes you back. You know my mom and your mom are like, best friends for life. Your mom tells mine all the details about whenever you call her, and _my_ mom tells _me_ everything your mom said. According to your mom, this Serena girl has the hots for you. You know moms, they have a knack for seeing shit like that."

"...Fine, I'll invite her to come with me to Kanto... but-"

"No buts."

"But what if she doesn't want to-"

"Why wouldn't she?" asked Gary. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but Pokemon Showcases are in Kanto now. If this plan goes right and you kiss her and you two become a thing, you can spend the next 3 months on a journey with her. You'd be training for the Elite 4, while she'd be able to continue her dreams of being a Pokemon Performer, all while being in a region full of pokemon she's never seen before! Ashy-boy, I've got this shit mapped out, man! Come on, just tell her about the party, bring her here, and you can seal the deal. I don't know why you're hesitating. Keep up these shenanigans and this'll end up the same way it did 4 years ago with-"

"Why do you _insist_ on bringing that up?" growled Ash.

"Because you dropped the ball... big time." snorted Gary. "I know it's hard, but you of all people should know that waiting around for a miracle of Arceus gets you nowhere. You'll never know how things could be until you try. This is your second chance, bud. From here on, you're in what I call the 'Make It or Break It Critically Important Now or Never Holy Shit Zone'. I believe in you."

"...You know what? You're right." admitted Ash, slowly nodding his head. "I've faced bigger challenges in the past... I can totally handle this one..."

"Fuck yeah you can. Now get off the phone and invite her to the party. Don't worry about organizing the party or anything, I'll take care of that."

"Thanks, Gary." thanked Ash. "I really didn't expect you to give me advice that good."

"No problem Ashy-boy. Good luck!"

And with that, Gary's face vanished from the video phone's screen. Ash stared at his own reflection in the screen, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

"You can do this." he muttered, slowly standing up. "You're just inviting her to a party. Nothing major."

As he walked across the lobby of the pokemon center, he couldn't help but notice how the self-confidence that almost defined his personality seemed to completely abandon him when it came to anything girl-related. Facing a legendary pokemon that could probably kill him with a single blast? No problem. Entering a battle against one of the best trainers in the world? Whatevs. Talking to a girl he liked? End of the world.

"Here we go..." he mumbled, knocking on the door of the room he and Serena had rented.

"Ash?" asked Serena from inside the room.

"Yep."

"You're done on the phone already?"

"Yep."

"Okay, hold on a sec."

Some shuffling sounds were heard for a couple seconds, which was a couple seconds longer than Ash had expected. He had patience, but she was taking a solid 15 seconds. Right as he was about to knock again, Serena opened the door.

"Hi." she greeted.

"Hey." answered Ash. "I wanna ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head.

Suddenly, Ash felt his body freeze up. Her eyes seemed to be looking straight into his soul, when in reality, she was simply waiting for an answer to her question. All of a sudden his palms got sweaty, and he could just feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.

"So, um, I was just wondering... Wait, let me start over. So I'm having a party to celebrate my win, and I just wanted to know if you'd be interested in coming to it. I thought it'd be a great opportunity for you to come see Kanto again since the last time you were there was when we were 5. You could catch some pokemon there... I also heard there's Pokemon Showcases there too, and I, um, I think it would be pretty cool if we continued our journey together in Kanto since you've been a great person to travel with here in Kalos... I'd train for the Elite 4 while you'd try the Kanto showcases and compete for Kanto Queen."

Ash mentally chastised himself. He was only supposed to invite her to the party, not reveal 75% of his plan in the process. He anxiously waited for Serena's answer. She seemed to be completely caught off guard by Ash's request, but before Ash could assume he said something wrong, she grinned.

"Ash, of course I'll come to your party! And I'd love to compete in the Kanto showcases! But..."

 _"But...?"_ thought Ash, a violent chill running through his chest.

"But that's not my decision to make." finished Serena, her grin turning into a sad smile. "I have to ask my mom first. She'd go crazy if I just called her one day and told her I was in another region entirely. Since I'm about to call her anyway, I'll just ask her right now."

Ash sighed in relief. "Okay. I'll just stay in here and pack up my stuff while you call her. I don't want to rush you or anything, but it's 5:42 right now, and the train to Lumiose City leaves at 6:15. After your call we gotta head to the train station."

"It shouldn't take long. I'll be back in a few minutes." sang Serena, closing the door.

Now alone in the room, Ash looked around, noticing that all of Serena's things were already neatly packed in her bag. His own things, however, were all over the place. In what felt like record time, Ash shoved everything into his bag, making sure not to break or scratch his trophy in the process. Once that was out of the way, he walked over to one of the two beds in the room. Both of them were laid and free of any personal belongings, so he decided to just go to the one that was closer to him, even though that one was Serena's. He collapsed face first onto the bed, taking a deep breath.

 _"I really hope I don't screw this up again._ _"_ he thought, burying his head in a pillow.

...

 _the next day..._

 _..._

"I am _so_ glad your mom said yes." said Ash, turning to Serena.

After talking to her mother, Serena had rushed up the stairs to tell Ash the good news that she had gotten her mother's permission to go to Kanto. After a few moments of celebration, the two had grabbed their things and got on the train to Lumiose City. After reuniting with Clemont and Bonnie, they had spent the night with their friends. When invited to Ash's party, Clemont and Bonnie reluctantly declined, for the same reason that they were forced to separate from Ash and Serena earlier in their journey; after finding out about the existence of Clembot, the Kalos League deemed the use of a robotic substitute for an actual Gym Leader to be illegal, forcing Clemont to stay in the gym and do his job. With Clemont and Bonnie unable to go, only Ash and Serena were to take the plane back to Kanto the next morning.

Now they were on said plane, and Ash could barely keep his excitement down. This was the fourth time he had told Serena of how glad he was that she was coming with him. Of course, each time Ash said it made the Pokemon Performer's heart flutter, but even to her, it was getting a little too excessive.

"Yes Ash, I know." answered Serena with a giggle. "You can stop saying it now."

"I've only said it, like, twice." said Ash rather defensively.

"You definitely said it at least four times already." chuckled Serena.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did totally not."

"Did totally too."

All the surrounding people on the plane, including Pikachu, silently groaned in clear vexation. While 2 or 3 of the strangers on board thought the playful bickering was cute, the other 248 thought it was annoying as hell. In a world of their own, Ash and Serena barely even noticed the death stares from majority of the people sitting near them. Luckily, Pikachu saw these looks of malice, and decided to act before one of the passengers lost their patience.

"Pika!" hollered Pikachu, catching the attention of both Ash and Serena.

"What's up, bud?" asked Ash. Pikachu pointed out the window. Having a window-seat, Ash looked through the glass, and saw that there was no longer a vast expanse of ocean waters below them; there was land. Ash grinned. "We're here! Look, there's Mt. Moon! And the Pokemon Tower!"

 _"_ ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS." echoed a voice from the plane's P.A. system. "THIS IS YOUR PILOT. WE WILL BE REACHING OUR DESTINATION SHORTLY. WE ASK THAT ALL SEAT-BELTS ARE FASTENED AS WE BEGIN OUR DESCENT AND LANDING INTO VIRIDIAN CITY AIRPORT. I REPEAT, ALL PASSENGERS FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS AND PREPARE FOR DESCENT."

"...And there's Viridian Forest!" continued Ash, completely ignoring the pilot's words.

"So Ash," began Serena, making sure her seat-belt was strapped properly. "When we land in the airport, what's next?"

"Oh, um, my friend Gary is going to be there, waiting for us. Once everything's settled, we'll get in his car and he'll drive us to my house. It's not a long drive, so we should be there around noon. Once we get to my house, we'll get you situated and everything... and then we'll spend the rest of the day, as well as tomorrow, having fun. And then the party's on the day after tomorrow."

"Okay... So what kind of fun are we going to have?" asked Serena excitedly.

"Err... the fun kind." answered Ash, growing nervous as he remembered his plan to kiss her at some point during this day and a half of fun. "Don't worry, you'll have a good time... I hope."

"Don't be silly Ash, there's no need to hope." said Serena, catching those last 2 words. "As long as I'm with someone like you, there's no way I _can't_ have fun."

"Thanks Serena... for what it's worth, I could say the same thing about you." said Ash, who was (you guessed it) blushing.

Once again, 90% of the people on the plane, including Pikachu, either rolled their eyes or groaned in cheesy teen-romance induced agony. Lucky for them, Ash and Serena said nothing after that, deciding to spend the remaining minutes of the flight in comfortable silence.

* * *

 _hey hey hey_

 _hey hey hey, woooo_

 _hey hey hey_

 _If you can't hear... what I'm trying to say_  
 _If you can't read from the same page_  
 _Maybe I'm going deaf_  
 _Maybe I'm going blind_  
 _Maybe I'm out of my miiiiiii-_

"You have reached the one and only Gary Oak, talk to me." answered the owner of the phone, silencing the ringtone. "Hey, Mrs. Ketchum. Yes, that's always how I answer the phone... Yeah, I'm actually walking into the airport right now. Once I find Ash and Serena, we'll be on our wa-... ... ...wait, _what_ did you just say? ... Mrs. Ketchum, with all due respect, if this is a joke, it's not funny. ... You're serious?! Shit! ... Sorry for cursing... no, I don't kiss my mother with this mouth. Anyway, what are they even doing there?! Uggghhhhh, this puts a huge old wrench in _everything_... *sigh* well, I'm sure Ash can still pull off the plan. It might be a harder for him with you-know-who in the vicinity though... alright, I'll see you soon... yeah, I'll try to warn him, but I don't know how I'll do that with this Serena girl there. I'll try though. K bye."

Gary lolled his head back, a heavy sigh escaping his throat.

"Better start looking for them..." he muttered, taking off the black aviator sunglasses he was wearing.

As he searched, he decided to push aside the troubling information he had just learned and focus solely on finding Ash and Serena. Unfortunately, the task wasn't as easy as he thought it'd be. When it came to clothing style, Ash was as generic as could be. In the 2 minutes he'd been searching, Gary had already passed several boys of various ages in hats, short-sleeved jackets, pants, and completely unnecessary fingerless gloves. He thought of trying to spot Serena, but that was impossible; he'd never seen her before.

 _"Well... she's gotta be pretty if she's a Pokemon Performer, right?"_ thought Gary.

Gary walked up to the first pretty girl he saw. Her back was turned to him, and she was standing next to yet another guy in a hat and jacket.

"Hey," greeted Gary, tapping the girl's shoulder. "Is your name Serena by any chance?"

The girl turned around, revealing her face. In Gary's eyes, she wasn't just pretty, she was gorgeous. Mesmerizing eyes, beautiful hair...

"No, it ain't." answered the girl, her voice deeper than Vin Diesel's. "My name's T-Steak. Why you wanna know my name, pretty boy?"

The guy next to T-Steak turned around, revealing himself to be just another dork in similar clothing to Ash.

"Gee whiz, who're you?" asked the Ash look-alike in a high-pitched voice. "If you're here to see my mint-condition vintage ultra-rare Bobsledding trading card collection, you're out of luck cuz they're all mine, ya hear?"

Gary blinked a couple times, realizing that these people were not the pair he was looking for. Giving himself a second to collect himself, he began his reply.

"Listen dork-lord," he said, pointing at boy in the hat. "I don't want your freaking bobsledding trading cards. I didn't even know those existed until now, and frankly, I now see you as a lesser human being because you have them. I'm just trying to find two people and I thought you two... _things_ were them-"

"Hey Gary! Over here!" called a voice from behind Gary, taking his attention away from the two odd people.

Gary turned around, seeing a familiar figure waving to him in the distance.

"Black hair, Pikachu on shoulder, goofy grin, yeah, that's him." mumbled Gary. "Ayyyy! Ashy-bo-"

Gary froze as his eyes captured what must've been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Her elegant legs raised her to a divine 5 feet and 9 inches, just one inch shorter than Ash. Her short, wavy honey-blonde hair seemed to be that of an angel's; perfectly maintained and shiny. Her eyes were a pleasant shade of blue, and just one look into them brought feelings of joy and kindness. Gary had not once met this girl before, but the smile she gave him made him feel like they were life-long friends...

But none of those things mattered as much as the killer ass that he spotted on her.

 _"This... this **might** be an issue."_ he thought, resisting the temptation to stare at Serena's lower half. He meant it when he told Ash that he was a changed man; he had a girlfriend, and he doubted she'd be happy if she found out he was staring at another girl's curves. _"Damn you Ash and your impeccable taste in women..."_ _  
_

"Hey Gary, it's been a while since I've seen you in person!" said Ash, giving Gary a quick bro-hug. "This is Serena Yvonne. Serena, this is Gary Oak."

"Nice to meet you!" greeted Serena, outstretching her hand for a hand shake.

"Nice you meet you too." said Gary, literally trying his best to avoid adding a flirty tone to his voice. After shaking Serena's hand, Gary reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys. "Okay, you guys ready to go?"

Both Ash and Serena nodded.

"Alright." said Gary, putting on his sunglasses. "Next stop, the Ketchum residence."

* * *

After they had exited the airport, the trio had gotten into Gary's car, the same red convertible he used to ride around in during his days as a trainer. As soon as they got in the car, Serena fell into a world of her own as she gazed at all the pokemon and sights of the Kanto region. Ash and Gary spent most of the ride talking, their conversations ranging from Gary's research discoveries to Ash's stories about the Kalos Region. But as they neared Pallet Town, Gary remembered what was waiting for them. He glanced at his rear-view mirror, and saw that Serena was still sight-seeing.

 _"Gotta warn him..."_ he thought. _"Without flat-out telling him what's going on..."_

Gary cleared his throat.

"Ashy-boy."

"Yeah?"

"So before we all met up in the airport, your mom called me. She told me something that could really affect the next couple of days... I thought I'd tell you about it just so you're, y'know, prepared for anything."

"Really? What'd she tell you?"

"Nothing much," said Gary, "she just wanted me to remind you of what month it is right now."

"May?" asked Ash.

"Yep. That indeed is the month right now. You know how Pallet Town is during _May_ , right?"

"I dunno, sunny?" said Ash.

"I mean, it was sunny a couple years ago, but ever since a... _climate_ change that happened around this exact time _four_ years ago, it's been pretty rainy in _May_. The worst is when it's a downpour. The rainwater leaks from some people's ceilings, and gets _in_ their houses."

Pikachu's ears perked up as he began to understand Gary's words. Ash, on the other hand, still wasn't getting it.

"Okay... what's the big deal? All I've learned just now is that May used to be a good thing, and then the climate changed and now it's a bad thing because the downpour that May brings gets water in some houses."

"Yes." said Gary.

"So besides the chance of there being rain, how else does this affect me?"

"A lot of rain gets in your house, Ash." said Gary cryptically. "Your house in particular. According to your mom... there's going to be a heavy downpour today. I'm just telling you this so you can be prepared for it... _May in Pallet Town_ is no joke."

"Well, I'm sure I can handle a few leaks." said Ash, dismissing the conversation.

"I hope so, man." sighed Gary, realizing Ash didn't get the message. "I really hope so..."

After that, Gary didn't feel like talking anymore, meaning nobody spoke at all. But just a few seconds later, Serena finally said something that wasn't either 'I've never seen _that_ pokemon before!' or 'Oh wow! There's so many!'. The car drove past a large field, and in this field was a wide variety of different pokemon from different regions.

"Oh wow! There's so many pokemon I've never seen before!" squealed Serena. "And they're all just roaming around that big farm-place-area-thing... Who owns those? Or is it a type of zoo?"

"Those are _my_ pokemon, Serena." said Ash proudly.

"And that's no zoo, that's my Grandpa's pokemon lab. He keeps Ash's pokemon because Ash is too much of a lazy bum to carry them around and is _always_ catching more instead of using the ones he's already caught. Really, he wonders why it took him so long to win a league tournament when he literally starts every region from scratch with the exception of Pikach-"

"What about that time in Sinnoh? Ash told me he used some of his strongest pokemon for that." said Serena, defending Ash.

"Okay, to be fair, I will admit that _that_ was bullshit. Darkrai and a Latios... who knows what else that creep had? A shiny Arceus?"

"Yeah, that was dumb." said Ash quickly, not really wanting to talk about his past failures after a victory. "So anyway, since we just drove past Professor Oak's Lab... my house should be... right over there!"

And so it was. Just a few hundred feet away was a blue house with a red roof. With every second that the car got closer to said house, Ash's smile grew wider and wider. In complete contrast, Gary began to frown, realizing that Ash too would probably be frowning within the next minute or two.

Gary pulled into the driveway, parking his car.

"Hey Gary, I thought you said something about rain... It seems perfectly sunny out." noticed Ash, looking up at the sky as he got out of Gary's car. "Guess the forecast was wrong?"

"T_T... I'm going to the lab." said Gary, staying in his car. "I'll see you guys at the party."

"Okay, thanks for the ride Gary!" hollered Ash as Gary reversed out of the parking lot.

"Thank you!" called Serena.

"You're welcome." sighed Gary, speeding away from Ash's house as fast as possible.

"Hm, I wonder why he's driving so fast...?" mumbled Ash.

"Maybe something urgent is going down at the lab..." concluded Serena.

* * *

Gary sped down the road, driving right past the lab without a moment's hesitation.

 _"Just gonna get as far away from **that** fiasco as possible." _ he thought.

* * *

"Meh, maybe." said Ash, scratching his head. Pikachu sighed. Not noticing Pikachu's action, Ash turned to Serena. "Well, time to go inside!"

With Serena following close behind, Ash walked up to the front door. He knocked a couple times, but there was no answer. He knocked again, and after another silence, the sound of someone rushing to the door was faintly heard.

"That's my mom." said Ash, turning his head towards Serena. "She can be a little weird when it comes to meeting my friends, so be prepa-"

The door swung open, revealing someone that was indeed female. But her eyes were a beautiful ocean blue, unlike the brown ones of Delia Ketchum. This person had brown hair, but not the same type of brown as Ash's mother's. This girl's hair was more of a tree-bark color, as opposed to the auburn hair Ash was expecting. But what truly set this girl apart from Ash's mother was their age. This girl was nowhere near old enough to be Ash's mom. She looked 17, just like Ash and Serena.

This girl wasn't Ash's mom, that much, Serena could determine.

As soon as she laid her eyes upon Ash, the mystery girl grinned, rushing towards him.

"ASHHHH!" she yelled, pulling the absolutely speechless trainer into a hug.

"M-May...?" stuttered Ash weakly, his eyes wide in absolute shock.

"I haven't seen you in so lonnnnnnnng!" gushed May Maple, giving Ash what was most likely the tightest hug he'd ever experienced. "I-... huh?"

Her head resting on Ash's shoulder, May was given a perfect view of the honey-blonde haired, blue-eyed girl behind him. Both girls looked at each other, and they both blinked twice.

May frowned; this wasn't a person she had met before.

"Ash," she began, a friendly smile on her face. "who's this?"

* * *

In a dark room, five men stood. Each wore cloaks of dark blue color, each garment adorned with archaic embroidery and hoods to conceal their faces. All of them wore the same clothes, but each possessed some kind of item to differentiate them from the rest. For example, one had a sword and shield strapped to his back, while another had two blue and black miniaturized pokeballs attached to the wrists of his gloves. all five of these men seemed to radiate a power and strength unlike that of anything else. These hooded figures stood around a rather large glass sphere, and reflecting in the sphere was the scene that had just unfolded.

One of the men, the only one without a unique item, raised his hand, laying it on the sphere. The image paused as soon as his hand made contact. He then removed his hood, revealing a head of very dark cobalt-blue hair and blue eyes to match.

"Guys," he said, taking a step back from the sphere. "I can't watch this anymore."

Three of the four remaining men simply looked at him, their hoods still covering their faces. The fourth one, however, burst into laughter and removed his own hood, revealing messy brown hair and a goatee of the same color.

"What's wrong, Sir Riley?" he asked in between hearty chuckles.

"The second-hand sense of dread is killing me." sighed Sir Riley, half-smiling. "I don't even need to read their Auras to tell those girls aren't gonna get along..."

"Well," said one of the 3 Guardians that had remained silent. He removed his hood, revealing a face that was very similar to Sir Riley's, save for a few differences. In his hand was a brown staff with a silver crest on the end. "it's a good thing Sir Tobias is picking him up tomorrow, then. It'll save him the trouble of dealing with _that_ nightmare."

"Not a nightmare if you ask me." said the Guardian with the brown hair and goatee. "Two beautiful babes, both his age, both _well_ -endowed... in different ways too! He's got it good if you ask me, the best of both worlds!"

"You're disgusting, Branford." droned Sir Riley. "You do realize you bear the same last name as one of those girls, right? And that they're both a couple hundred years younger than you?"

"Sir Riley," snapped the Guardian wielding the staff. "regardless of his crass comments, Sir Branford is still an Aura Guardian. You have no right to say his name without 'Sir' in front of it."

"Yeah, that's SIR Branford to you, Riley!"

"Yeah, and that's SIR Riley _you,_ Sir Incestuous Pedophile." grumbled Sir Riley.

"Hold up," snapped Sir Branford, getting serious. "I just said that he's in a good situation! What, because I'm like 370 years older than them I can't say that they're beautiful women? And who're ya calling _incestuous_?! I didn't say I'd do anything with them, especially the brown-haired one! Like you said, she's a Maple too!"

"Well," interrupted the Guardian with the staff. "if you think the young Ketchum is in a good situation, that kind of implies that you wouldn't mind being there in his pla-"

"Sirs Aaron, Riley, and Branford. Silence." ordered one of the two remaining Guardians yet to remove his hood.

It was the one with two mini pokeballs attached to the wrists of his gloves. He removed his hood, revealing wavy, grayish-blue hair. At his words, Sir Riley, Sir Branford, and Sir Aaron stopped talking. Even though all 5 of the Guardians in the room were equals in rank and power, they all knew to listen to the one that had just spoken up. He wasn't their leader, but he was by far the most serious of them all. He only spoke when absolutely necessary, causing all four of his companions to listen whenever he did.

"What is it, Sir Tobias?" asked Sir Aaron.

"We must begin preparations for Ketchum's arrival." said Sir Tobias simply. "Tomorrow I am to retrieve him, and his training will begin as soon as possible. It is best for all of you to prepare yourselves. This is not some normal student we're taking under our wing. This is the Chosen Guardian; By the end of his training, he must be as strong as all of us combined, and with twice the battle instinct. This young man's destiny affects us all, so quit your bickering and prepare the Corridors for his arrival."

"Don't worry, everything will be ready by the time he gets here." said Sir Riley, walking away. "The question is... will _he_ be ready? How exactly are you going to pick him up anyway?"

"It doesn't matter if he's ready or not. The world can't afford to wait for him to be 'ready'... " replied Sir Tobias, staring at Ash's paused reflection in the glass sphere. "I'll be bringing him here in the way I see fit. I'm afraid the details as to how I'll be doing it are none of your concern."

"Don't do anything rash, Sir Tobias." warned Sir Aaron.

"Hm."

Sirs Branford, Aaron, and Riley all stared at the back of Sir Tobias's head, all of them feeling uneasy regarding what he might do. He was always one for getting the job done, no matter how he did it. As long as Arceus and the ways of the Aura were protected, he didn't mind whether his methods were the best or not. Deciding to just listen to him and hope he didn't do anything too extreme, the three Guardians left the room, each exiting through a different door.

This left only two men in the room, Sir Tobias and the one other Aura Guardian that had yet to remove his hood or even speak. They both stared down at the glass sphere, Ash, Serena, and May's figures still paused on it.

"Destroy it." ordered Sir Tobias, walking away from the sphere. "Once he arrives, we don't want him to be able to see anything from his life on Earth. It'll only distract him from his training."

The hooded Guardian nodded, unsheathing his double-edged sword. With a grunt, he swung the weapon through the sphere, shattering it. He then returned his blade to its scabbard, a light sigh echoing in the room as he gazed at the shards of glass that now dangerously littered the blue and black checkered floors...

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed it! I know I did. Of course, feel free to ask any questions you have, because I answer every question in a Q &A section of each and every chapter.  
**

 **How will Sir Tobias get Ash?**

 **Who is this 5th Aura Guardian wielding a sword and shield?**

 **What will Ash do now that May has suddenly appeared?!**

 **Find out in the next installment of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura!**

 **Seeya,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all!**

 **Well, I was incredibly surprised with the amount of positive feedback I got after posting the first chapter of this. So much that I decided to write the second one far, far earlier than planned. Crazy enough, I had enough free time on me to write this entire chapter in 2 days. That's a rarity. Anyway, I was supposed to be writing a chapter for my other story, but I ended up writing this one. To those of you who read Pokemon: Divinus, fear not, Chapter 15 is about halfway done, expect it in about 10-11 days. **

**Q &A**

hryepuru

Is the 5th Aura Guardian Ash's Father or another Ketchum?  
Why is Ash and Gary sooo scared of May... did something happen in the past?

 **Answer: The 5th Guardian's identity will remain hidden til the next chapter. I mistakenly said that his identity would be revealed in this chapter, my bad. And as for Ash and Gary's feelings towards May... read on to find out!**

2snipers

Will the pairing turn out to be the same as in the original?

 **Answer: No, it will not. Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end of this chapter.**

AmericanBoy2016

So this story is going to be completely different from the other one, right?

 **Answer: Well... there will be a couple things from the original story that will return in this one, but for the most part, yeah.**

Bulbreon

Q's: What is the name Brecht from (if from anything)? Will Gary be an important character? Will Advanceshipping have any chance?

 **Answer: The only inspiration I got for the name Brecht was a Jecht, a character from Final Fantasy X. I just liked the way it sounded. And Gary will not have a major role in this story, but he will make appearances from time to time. As for the final question, be sure to read the Author's Note at the end of this chapter!**

 **I know I already said it like, twice in the Q &A, but be sure to read the Author's Note at the end, it's got some important stuff! **

**And now, without further adieu, enjoy chapter 2!**

 **DISCLAIMER: *sheds single tear* I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

 **II**

* * *

Confusion, dread, and fear. All three of these emotions battled for the right to dominate Ash's mind at the moment, but it seemed they had reached a stalemate, because he was feeling all three equally. There were so many different possibilities Ash had thought of regarding the greeting he'd receive upon the opening of his front door, but this wasn't one of them. It was literally the worst case scenario. Of all his friends that could have been in his house, it was _her,_ May Maple, AKA the only other girl that Ash had ever had romantic feelings for in his life.

"Ash," said May, not moving. Her eyes were locked on Serena, a friendly smile on her face. "Who's this?"

 _"Why is this happening to me? I'm a good person, I don't deserve this."_ thought Ash monotonously. _"I'm just a guy who catches pokemon and tries to be the very best like no one ever was. What is this? What is my life? I-"_

"I'm Serena Yvonne." answered Serena, smiling. Since Ash was _clearly_ too surprised to answer, she had to do it herself. That itself gave her a bad feeling about the situation as a whole. Who was this girl? Why did her presence completely change Ash's demeanor? There was only one way to find out; keep on talking to her. "I'm Ash's traveling companion."

"Oh? Ash still needs a babysitter to travel with him, huh?" joked May, removing herself from Ash. "It's nice to meet you, Serena. I'm May Maple. I was one of Ash's traveling companions when he was in the Hoenn Region."

Now that May had completely removed herself from Ash, Serena was able to get a full analysis on the brunette's physical traits. She was a little shorter than her and Ash, around 5'7". She was pretty, but not in the typical way. Her hair was smooth and well kept, and it seemed to have a natural, earthy look to it, a stark opposite of the shiny and wavy nature of Serena's hair. She had freckles, about 8-10 on each cheek and a couple on the bridge of her nose as well. In regards to her figure, her upper curves seemed to be more of an asset than her lower ones. Overall, she seemed to have the 'cute girl that lives next door' look.

Serena was not a fan. In all the time they had traveled together, Ash had not once ever mentioned this May girl. Tracey, Brock, Dawn, Iris, Cilan... she'd heard all those names before. May Maple was a new one, and that was just another red flag that Serena's mind had picked up in the last 2 minutes. Who was she? What was she about? Why did Ash never mention her? There was no way Ash just forgot to mention her in his stories, was there? Something must have happened between them, she concluded. But if something happened... why did May seem so happy to see Ash? Too many questions, not enough answers.

Despite all the work her mind had just put in to filing May Maple's name in the "possible threat" folder, Serena maintained the smile on her face.

"So that means you're from the Hoenn Region then?" asked Serena.

"Yup." answered May. "But after watching Ash win that tournament, I just knew I had to come to Kanto and visit!"

"Y-you were watching that?" asked Ash, seeming to have just recovered from his mental meltdown.

"Of course I was." said May, almost offended. "Max and I have watched your tournaments almost every season. Ash, let me just say, that match with that Sawyer guy was AMAZING! But before we talk about it, you guys should come inside."

May stepped aside, creating room for Ash and Serena to enter the house. Ash went in first, with Serena following. But suddenly, Ash stopped walking, causing Serena to bump into him from behind. Right as the Pokemon Performer was about to ask why Ash had froze, she saw him reach for his shoulder.

"Pikachu?" he asked, realizing his yellow friend wasn't in its usual spot.

"He's over here." giggled May, making both Ash and Serena turn around to face her.

Ash began to silently panic again, and Serena forced another smile out. Pikachu was on May's shoulder, and he was affectionately rubbing his cheek against May's. In all the time they spent together in Kalos, Pikachu had never done such a thing to Serena. Little did Serena know, Pikachu had never done that to anyone other than Ash before.

"That's enough, Pikachu, please." laughed May, the electric pouches on Pikachu's cheeks sending tingling sensations through her face. "Ash, get him off me!"

"Um, yeah. Sure thing." said Ash, walking towards May and the rodent.

With one quick swipe, Ash grabbed Pikachu from May's shoulder and placed him on the floor. While that was happening, May began to rub her face, trying to get rid of the rest of the remaining tingles. Serena paid close attention to this.

 _"Let's see how much make-up she's wearing..."_ she thought, waiting for May to remove her hands from her face. The brunette did just that a few seconds later, and to Serena's absolute shock, nothing had changed. _"She's not wearing any make-up?! She's just... naturally that pretty...?"_

'Thanks, Ash." said May, sighing in relief. She then smiled, folding her arms. "I didn't know Pikachu missed me _that_ much... Like trainer, like pokemon, huh?"

"I guess...?" said Ash, looking awfully uncomfortable. "...Uh, I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Not waiting for a response from either of the girls, Ash briskly walked up the nearby staircase. Not once did he look back, as he had decided he needed to get as far away from both girls as possible. This was a Code Red as far as he was concerned, and he needed to talk to Gary and fill him in on this unexpected turn of events that he had absolutely no way (as far as he knew) of foreseeing. When he reached the top of the staircase, he walked right past the bathroom and entered his own room, making sure to lock the door. Once the door was secured, he immediately dug into his bag and pulled out his cellphone, dialing Gary's number in what must have been the world record for dialing a phone number.

As the phone rang, Ash made sure to get as far away from his door as possible.

"Hello?" answered Gary, who sounded like he was expecting the call.

"Gary you will not believe what is happening right now." said Ash. In order to prevent the possibility of someone eavesdropping on the conversation, Ash kept his voice low. "Literally the worst thing is hap-"

"May is in your house."

"No, May is in my hou- ...How did you... wait. You knew?!" asked Ash, eyes widening. "What the serious fuck, man?! It didn't dawn on you that May's presence is something I'd like to be warned about?!"

"I tried to warn you, buddy. Remember when we were talking about the weather?"

"What about it?" asked Ash, confused. " _That_ was your warning? How would I know May was here from a talk about climate change?!"

"I swear, you are the densest dumbass I've ever met..." groaned Gary. "Dude, you actually thought I was talking about weather? Okay, even if you're _that_ dumb, which in itself is _truly_ tragic, you should have at least gotten what I was trying to do when I said 'May in Pallet Town is no joke'. Yes, she is in Pallet Town, and she's come to visit you. I know, her presence will make getting with Serena a lot more difficult to do since everywhere you two go, May will probably tag along. But that doesn't mean all is lost. You can still show Serena a fun time and get alone with her at some point within the next day and a half. Yeah, you're in a tough spot now, but just imagine how rough this would be if you still had feelings for her?"

"..."

"Ashy-boy?"

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"..."

"Oh no. Oh... oh my god." droned Gary, realizing what was going on. "Holyyyy fucking shit, YOU STILL LIKE HER?"

"Well, 'like' is a relative term-"

" _How_ , Ashy-boy?" asked Gary, unable to comprehend this new information. " _How_ can you still like her? It's been _four_ years. _Four_ lonnnng yeeeeeeears! That's just unacceptable, man!"

"Look, I thought I was over it! I really did! But just seeing her again is bringing everything back... When we traveled in Hoenn... splitting the Terracotta Ribbon with her... how can I _not_ like her? I literally watched her grow from a girl that hated pokemon to one that loves them as much as I do! Heck, I even swam through a school of Luvdisc with her during that whole Manaphy/Sea Temple adventure. But then there's Serena, who I couldn't stop thinking about until now! Serena's a great person as well, she's beautiful, and I genuinely like her too! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

"Okay, okay, okay, let's not panic." said Gary. "Maybe I can help with this. Ash, do you like Serena?"

"Yes."

"Do you like May?"

"...Yes..."

"Who do you like _more_?"

"I... I don't know."

"Well, this is a goddamn cluster of fucks, isn't it?" asked Gary incredulously. "Okay, here's what you need to do. You need to go on with the plan and choose Serena. That's what I would do, and that's what most people would do. May is only visiting, Serena is staying in Kanto with you. May is someone you liked 4 years ago; 4 years can change a person, so she might not be the same May you fell for back then, as compared to Serena, who you've been around for almost a year now. We have no idea whether May likes you or not, which makes going for her pretty risky, because if she doesn't like you back, you're left with no one. Serena, on the other hand, is a much safer choice. We know she's got the hots for you, meaning guaranteed happiness. Of course, in the end, the choice is up to you. But just so you know, I'm on Team Serena."

"You bring up many valid points..." admitted Ash. "Okay, I'll try to stick to the plan. But how do I act around May then?"

"Well, how have you been acting so far?"

"Stuttering... Stammering..."

"No, none of that." declared Gary. "Alright, you need to treat May like you would Dawn, Misty, or Iris. She's just one of your past female traveling companions, no more, no less. Treat her like a good friend. You can't _not_ talk to her and act like she did something wrong to you, because that's not the case. As far as she knows, nothing happened between the two of you. You're still good friends, and you're still the guy that taught her everything about pokemon. And really, it'd be kinda messed up for you to treat her as anything less than a friend, since _you_ were the one that was too afraid to say what was on your mind when it mattered the most. So, in short, treat May like what she is; a pal that's come to visit."

"...Alright." said Ash uneasily. "I'll... I'll stick to the plan."

"Nice." replied Gary, satisfied. "Keep me posted. But if something happens at some obscure hour of the night or something, just send a text."

"Will do." answered Ash, nodding. "Bye, Gary."

"Adios."

Ash hung up the phone, took off his hat, and placed it over his face.

 _"As if liking one girl wasn't hard enough..."_ he thought, laying his hat on his dresser. _"I just hope I can pull this off right..."_

Emotionally spent, Ash walked across the room, planning on doing what had become a ritual of sorts for him whenever he had girl troubles: fall face-first onto a bed. But before he could fall, he noticed that his bed wasn't laid as neatly as it usually was. It seemed wrinkled a little, and the covers seemed slightly shifted, almost as if somebody had slept in it. Thinking nothing of it, Ash proceeded with his plans, falling face-first into the bed.

 _"I guess Gary's right."_ he thought, eyes closed. _"Serena's the safer choice... I don't even know if May likes me ba-"_

Ash's thoughts were forced to be put on pause as he inhaled, his nose catching a scent that wasn't usually associated with his bed. It was a fruity smell; It reminded him of strawberry-scented shampoo or bodywash. It was also a familiar fragrance. He wasn't quite sure where, but he had definitely been exposed to the smell somewhere before... And then, like a load of bricks, it hit him.

It smelled the same way May did when she hugged him.

* * *

After Ash had left to go "use the bathroom", Serena had followed May into the kitchen, where Delia Ketchum and May's 14 year-old brother, Max, awaited. After the introductions, Serena and the Maples stayed in the kitchen, engaging in countless small-talk conversations with Ash's mother. Some of the conversations were ones that everyone could contribute to, while others were ones that certain people had more experience in than others. Eventually, the topic of Pokemon Showcases came up, which prompted May and Max to ask what they were. Being the sole Pokemon Performer in the room, Serena gave a complete explanation on the profession. As soon as the word "pageant" came out of Serena's mouth, Max lost interest, falling asleep soon after. But May, on the other hand, seemed very interested.

"Wow, those sound fun!" gushed May. "I'd probably never do one, but it sounds like something I'd really enjoy watching."

"Why wouldn't you do one?" asked Serena. "Are you already doing something else?"

"Yeah. I'm a Pokemon Coordinator." said May proudly. "But of course, that wouldn't stop me from also being a Pokemon Performer if I wanted to be one too. The reason I wouldn't want to be one is because, from what you said, there's no battling in Pokemon Showcases. Battling is something I have a knack for."

"Why aren't you a Trainer, then?" asked Serena.

"I don't know, there's just something about Contests and coordinating that I love. I know what you mean though. Many of my Coordinator friends have told me I coordinate too aggressively. They say I act more like a Trainer, and that I learned it from being around Ash too much." answered May, her eyes wandering to the corner of the room. What she saw there made her smile. "And speaking of Ash, it seems he's returned from his trip to the bathroom."

Serena looked, and sure enough, Ash was in the room. He looked a lot less nervous than he did before he left, which she took as a good sign.

"There's my little Champion!" gushed Delia, pulling her son into a hug. "I'm so proud of youuuu!"

"Hi mom." greeted Ash, returning her hug. "Sorry, but... I'm not the champion yet. I still have to beat the Elite 4 and Diantha."

"In my eyes, you're _always_ a Champion!" replied Delia in a classic motherly tone. "Even if I _do_ have to remind you to change your underwear everyday!"

"You don't." said Ash flatly, ending the hug. He then looked around the room, seeming to focus on May a tad bit longer than everyone else. "So, I know it's only like, 1:00pm, but we should probably plan this out now; Where is everybody sleeping tonight, Mom?"

"I don't know, I'll leave that for you all to sort out. But I do know that May is sleeping in your room, since she got into a whole argument for it with Max earlier today. Oh, you should've seen it. Of course, they didn't know Serena was coming, so they had decided one of them would get the guest room while the other gets your room. Max, thinking it didn't matter who gets what, claimed your room. But May wouldn't let him have it, it was the funniest thing. She really gave him hell until he finally gave in and switched rooms. She was so happy she took a victory nap in your be-"

Delia's story was cut off by the sound of something falling on the floor. Everyone looked at the source of the sound, and saw May on the floor, picking up the cookies that had mysteriously "fallen" off the table.

"Whoops! I'm so sorry," said May frantically, her hair hiding her face from everyone. "total accident. I'm such a klutz. But don't you just hate that? When you accidentally knock things off tables? I know I hate that. But accidents happen, right? Heheheh... accidents."

"Okay..." said Ash, resuming the conversation. "Then I guess May will get my room... and Serena will get the guest room... and Max will get the couch?"

"That sounds good." said Serena, discreetly watching May pick up the last cookie off the floor. Once the brunette stood up, Serena was able to see that her cheeks were fading from a pink color back to normal. _"Which means she was blushing... Well, anyone would blush if a story like that was told about them... but still..."_

"The only problem with that setup is that _I'll_ have nowhere to sleep..." said Ash forlornly, snapping Serena out of her thoughts.

"Of course you will!" assured Delia, placing her arm around her son's shoulder.

"I will?"

* * *

 _11:25pm..._

"Goodnight, Pikachu." sighed Ash, shifting around in a desperate attempt to find comfort in his current "bed". But alas, after nearly 10 minutes of tossing and turning, he realized it was a lost cause; nobody can really find comfort when forced to sleep on a hardwood living-room floor with a spare bed-sheet functioning as their blanket. "*sigh* Can you believe this, bud? The winner of the Kalos Conference comes home not to a comfortable bed, but to the cold hard floor."

Ash waited for an answer from Pikachu, but he never got one.

"Pikachu?" he whispered, sitting up. He looked around the moonlit living room, his yellow partner nowhere to be seen. The only other living thing in the room was Max, who was fast asleep on the couch. "Where the heck did he go...?"

"Looking for this?" asked a feminine voice, one that seemed to come from behind Ash. The raven-haired teen turned around to see May standing at the bottom of the staircase. She looked like she had just woken up; her eyes were half-open and her hair was messy. In her hands was Pikachu, who seemed to be all smiles. May, on the other hand, was not as jolly. "I woke up to the feeling of something moving around under the covers. It was him."

"Sorry about that." apologized Ash. "I'll make sure he doesn't do it again."

"Thanks." said May, walking towards Ash.

She placed Pikachu on Ash's lap, the yellow mouse seeming quite disappointed that he was back in the very place he had purposely left. Instead of going back upstairs, May took a seat on the floor, sitting right next to Ash. This, of course, caused Ash to look at her in clear confusion.

"You're not going back upstairs?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No, not yet. I want to talk to you first... We haven't really had a chance to catch up at all today. I figure now is the best time to do it since Serena's usually around... I don't want her to feel left out or awkward while you and I talk."

"Alright..." answered Ash, realizing that May was right, they hadn't had a one-on-one conversation yet. After everything was taken care of regarding where everyone was sleeping, Ash had stuck to his plan; taking Serena out for a day of fun, with May and Max coming along as well. Throughout the whole day, Ash had done what Gary said, keeping Serena as the girl of interest and keeping May in the position of 'visiting friend'. Not once in the day did he speak to May directly for more than a couple minutes, while he vividly remembered talking to solely Serena countless times. Looking back, he felt kind of bad about it. _"Keeping her at a friend's distance doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to just... **talk** with her, right?"_

"So, how have you been, Ash?" asked May, smiling. "It really has been a long time since I've last seen you. You're taller than me now... and your voice has gotten deeper... and... yeah."

"Yeah... it has been a while." said Ash, gazing at the moon through the living room window. "I've been good. Y'know, same old, same old."

"Really? Nothing new or crazy has happened in the last 4 years at all?" asked May, unconvinced. " _Something_ must've happened."

"Well, Brock finally stopped traveling with me. That was a real turning point." admitted Ash. "And of course, a couple run-ins with some more legendary pokemon. Other than that, nothing else..."

"Did you meet any new people worth mentioning?"

"Well... In Sinnoh, I traveled with a girl named Dawn, she was a Coordinator too. She wasn't that bad of a person, a little hyperactive though. She also had blue hair, which she desperately tried to convince me wasn't dyed. But it definitely was. And then in Unova, I traveled with this girl named Iris and this guy named Cilan. Iris was really annoying... She constantly called me a kid, even though she was like, 6. And she wanted to be a Dragon Master, which was cool and all, but I kinda stopped rooting for her when I realized that two of her pokemon weren't even Dragon types. Cilan was a cool guy... but he wasn't that great in comparison to Brock. And then in Kalos, I met Serena and two other people, but the other two people had to go back home halfway through the journey..."

"Oh, so it was just you and Serena after that?" observed May, sounding _slightly_ less interested than she did before. "Well, Serena seems like a cool person, so that must've been fun..."

"Um, yeah, it was nice..."

"That must've been your first time traveling alone with a girl, huh?"

"Y-yeah... it was." answered Ash, deciding the subject of the conversation needed to be changed immediately. "So, um, what's been going on with you? How's coordinating been going?"

"Not much has been going on with me, really. Johto was okay... I got Top 4 in the Grand Festival. The next year, I went to Sinnoh, thinking that I might run into you and Brock there. Unfortunately, I never did, it turned out you were already in Unova. I stayed in Sinnoh though, and I got into the Sinnoh Grand Festival... but I got Top 4 _again._ After that, I took a year off, just to... take a break from it all. And then I came back and tried again in Hoenn... but I didn't even make it into the Grand Festival. I didn't have enough ribbons. That was about 2 months ago."

"What happened?" asked Ash, shocked. May, The Princess of Hoenn, not getting enough ribbons to enter a Grand Festival? It just sounded impossible to him. "Getting the ribbons for a Grand Festival should've been a cake-walk for someone as good as you."

"It should've been..." sighed May, her gaze moving from Ash to the floor. "but... I... I wasn't in the best of health for most of that season, so I wasn't coordinating at my usual level of skill."

"Wasn't in the best of health? Was it the Flu? Or Pneumonia?"

"...Something like that." answered May quietly, still staring at the floor. She then looked towards Ash again, smiling. "But I'm fine now, so once Contest season starts up again, you'd best believe I'll be making my return... but... *sigh* I don't know if I'll be able to win the Grand Festival... I-"

"No, May, you're going to completely _own_ the Grand Festival." yawned Ash, covering his mouth. "I can't wait to see you return to the scene and just wreck shop everywhere. I know you can both get into and win this next Grand Festival. Here, let me give you some words of advice from one of my favorite motivational speakers. Whenever I'm down on myself or doubt that I can become a Pokemon Master, I listen to this speech. It really gets me going. The guy is yelling when he says it, but since everyone's asleep, I'll have to say it quietly. *clears throat* Do it. Just do it, May. Don't let your dreams be dreams. Yesterday, you said tomorrow, so just... _do it._ Make your dreams come true. Just... _do it_. Some people _dream_ of success, while you're gonna wake up, and work _hard_ at it. Nothing is impossible. You should get to the point where anyone else would quit, and you're not gonna stop there. No, what are you waiting for? Do it. Just... _do it._ Yes, you can. Just _do it_. If you're tired of starting over... _stop giving_ _up_."

"Wow... Ash, I... I don't know what to say..." replied May, completely overcome with intense feelings of motivation. "You know what? You and whoever that motivational speaker was are right. I shouldn't and _won't_ give up. I _am_ going to do it. I'm going to make my return, and win that Grand Festival. Hard work is how I'll do it, too. I'll over come any obstacle to win, because, like you said, nothing is impossible. Drew... Solidad... Harley... they're all going down."

"That's the spirit." said Ash, nodding his head.

"Thanks for the motivation, Ash." said May sweetly, giving Ash a big hug. Since she was next to him and not in front of him, one of her arms was around his back, the other arm was across his chest, and her cheek was pressed against his. "I... I... I'm really glad I visited. You're the best."

"I'm glad you visited too." answered Ash, doing his best to avoid getting flustered by May's hug. But with May's face literally pressed against his, blushing was inevitable. "So, what region are you coordinating in next?"

"Probably here, in Kanto. All my rivals are coming here next." answered May, ending the hug. "Kanto's Contest season starts up in 2 weeks actually, so I'll be back before you know it. Hey, maybe you and I could travel again, just like old times! The only difference is that it'd be only you and I, since Brock is too busy nowadays and Max isn't finished collecting all his Hoenn badges. It'd be great, you'd be training for the Elite 4, while I do my contests! Wouldn't that be awesome?"

"...It totally would." said Ash, staring off into the distance. He then looked at May again, an odd look in his eye. Before he spoke, he faked a yawn. "Well, May, I'm really tired. I'm gonna head to the bathroom, and then I'm going to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright?"

"Okay, goodnight Ash." said May, watching as Ash headed upstairs.

She wasn't sure if she actually saw it or not, but she could have sworn she caught a glimpse of Ash pulling out his phone on the way up and begin texting someone in what seemed like a panicked manner. Deciding it was probably her imagination, May stood up, planning on going back to Ash's room and resuming her sleep. But before she could walk away, she heard the sound of someone shifting around nearby. She turned around and saw Max laying on the couch, wide awake and staring at her.

"That was probably the best chance you were going to get during this entire visit, and you didn't do it." he whispered, shaking his head. "This was probably the only time that you'd get to talk to him without that Serena girl around, sis."

"You were listening?" asked May, sounding disappointed.

"Of course I was. You guys may not have been yelling, but you were still talking loud enough to wake me up." answered Max. "May, that was your chance. You literally did everything the therapist told you to do: you isolated him and yourself, had a private and meaningful conversation... you were _so_ close to sealing the deal. You should've told him right then and there..."

"I tried, Max, I really did. I wanted to say it when I hugged him... but I just couldn't get the words out. I lost my nerve." admitted May, sighing. "There'll be another chance, I know it."

"I hope so..." replied Max, going back to sleep. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

 _The next morning..._

...

 _"Hmmm... Alright, you can go, dear. But you have to promise me something!"  
_

 _"Thank you so so so so so so much, Mom! What do I have to promise?!"_

 _"You need to promise me that you and Ash become a couple, Serena. You may not see it, but to me, it's as clear as day; He likes you back! But, he strikes me as the type of guy that has trouble with anything girl related... You need to go with him to Kanto, and confess so you two can enjoy the extra 3 months you have together!"_

 _"But what if you're wrong and he doesn't like me back? After I tell him, it'll be too awkward to bear! I'd probably die of embarrassment!"_

 _"Then you tell him that I changed my mind and want you back here in Kalos, dear."_

 _"Okay... I'll do it, Mom!"_

 _"You'd better. It's really the only reason I'm letting you go that far away. Now, go upstairs and tell lover-boy the good news!"_

 _..._

Serena sat up, sighing as she remembered the mission her mother gave her. So far things weren't going as planned, and she had May to thank for that. Having barely gotten any alone time with Ash the day before, Serena had grown quite irritated with the presence of May and Max. But she couldn't bring herself to say that she disliked them, for they were both truly nice people who probably had no idea that they were getting in the way of her plans.

 _"Well... I've got the whole day to do it. I'm sure Ash and I will be alone at some point."_ she thought, checking the time. _"7:33... maybe... maybe I could do it now. Yes, this would be the best time, actually. I doubt anyone else is awake... so I'll just wake Ash up, ask if we can go outside or something... and tell him... *sigh* it sounds so easy in my head... Come on Serena, it's now or never. You have to!"_

Feeling a terrible mix of nervousness and determination, Serena got out of the guest room's bed, opening her bag. She pulled out her toothbrush and a small bottle of mouthwash and headed to the bathroom, purposely tip-toeing to avoid waking anyone up. As she brushed her teeth, she stared into her own eyes through the mirror, thinking thoughts of determination and encouragement.

 _"You can do this, girl! You can do it! No more waiting! No more fear! Just go down there and tell him like it is! Tell that cute, brave, easy on the eyes, handsome... attractive... tan... protective... supportive... what was I thinking about again? Oh, yeah, right. I'm gonna walk down those stairs and release what I've been holding in!"_ Having finished brushing her teeth, Serena spit out her tooth paste. She then grabbed the mouthwash, poured some in her mouth, swished it around, and spit it out as well. With her oral hygiene routine complete, she looked at herself one last time in the mirror, her teeth practically glowing. _"Let's do this!"_

Ready for action, Serena walked from the bathroom to the stairs, carefully going down each step. On complete and utter alert, Serena could hear almost every small sound, including some rustling sounds she heard coming from the direction of her destination, the living room.

 _"Oh... I guess Ash is already awake then."_ thought Serena as her foot met the final step of the staircase.

Deciding to remain stealthy anyway, Serena tip-toed into the living room, where a rather unexpected sight awaited. Instead of the tan-skinned, black-haired Pokemon Trainer she was expecting, she saw someone that was the exact opposite appearance-wise.

May.

 _"What's she doing down here? I thought she was sleeping in Ash's room..."_ pondered Serena. _"And where's Ash?"_

Her back turned to Serena, the brunette seemed to have no clue the honey-blonde was even there. Serena would've alerted May of her presence, but something told her to wait first. It seemed May was digging through a bag for something, and judging by the eagerness of her searching, it was obvious whatever she was looking for was important. When she finally found it, she sighed in relief.

 _"What is that?"_ thought Serena, unable to see what was in May's hands.

May placed both her hands on the object. A small _"pop"_ sound was then heard, followed by the sound of several small objects shaking around in a container. She then placed the object on the coffee table next to her, giving Serena a clear view of what it was: a bottle filled with half blue, half yellow pills.

 _"What in the worl-"_

"Good morning, Serena." greeted May, nonchalantly dropping a pill in her mouth.

Her back was still turned to Serena, which left the Pokemon Performer rather startled by the sudden greeting.

"G-good morning, May." stammered Serena, walking into the living room.

Before she could get a closer look at what was printed on May's medicine bottle, the brunette grabbed said item and closed it, returning it to her bag.

"Ash left to go drop his Kalos team off at Professor Oak's ranch." said May, turning towards Serena for the first time in the morning. She had her usual friendly smile on, but there seemed to be something different about her, something that Serena couldn't quite determine. "I didn't think you'd be up this early."

"Me neither..." replied Serena.

Serena was no psychic, but she couldn't help but feel a very odd vibe coming from May at the moment. Unlike the friendliness the brunette showed the day before, the friendliness she was currently showing almost seemed... _forced._ This confused Serena, because the Coordinator's smile was the same as it had been since the two girls had met; welcoming. Yet there was something about the whole situation... that made Serena feel like May's hospitality wasn't authentic at the moment. Having realized she lost herself in thought, Serena looked up, her eyes meeting May's.

And that's when she figured it out.

May's mouth may had been curved in a smile, but her eyes were a different story entirely. There was no cheerful glint in them like there usually was. There was no joy, no excitement, not even any disdain... just _nothing._ Like crashing ocean waves gone stagnant, the look in her eyes had become the complete antithesis of way they were the day before.

"I think I'll go meet him at the ranch." said May, tying a green bandanna onto her head.

"Can I come?" asked Serena sheepishly.

May paused her bandanna tying, looking at Serena. She didn't answer immediately, leaving a very uncomfortable feeling in the air.

"Yeah, why not?" answered May, tightening the bandanna. "Let's go."

Serena followed May out the door, putting on her sneakers on the way out. It was a fairly chilly morning, the spring breeze proving to be a little too cold for Serena as soon as she took her first step out of the house. She immediately folded her arms in an attempt to conserve heat. As soon as her hands touched the sides of her arms, she realized that she was still in her pajamas, which made her heart sink. They weren't exactly embarrassing clothes; a plain white t-shirt and pink running shorts. The problem (besides the fact that they were not suitable for the breezy weather) was the fact that she looked like a vagabond in comparison to what May was wearing. May was dressed in an orange and green outfit, one that clearly wasn't her pajamas.

 _"How early has she been awake?"_ thought Serena, examining the outfit. It was nice; complimentary colors, green fanny pack that matched her bandanna and... sleeveless top? _"And how is she not cold? It's freezing out here! Holy guacamole, I just can't win, can I? I wanna confess my feelings to Ash? She's there instead! I think I'm up early? She's up earlier! I'm cold? She's not! What's nex-"_

"Hey..." muttered May, stopping. Serena stopped walking as well, curious as to what May had to say. The brunette turned to Serena, and what Serena saw brought much surprise/confusion. The life in May's eyes seemed to have returned, her once empty gaze having regained its vitality. The emotion that currently showed in them was suspicion, but even that seemed better than the emptiness from before. "Is it me... or is the weather kind of... weird?"

"Weird?" asked Serena, looking around. Cloudy sky, breezy... nothing out of the ordinary. "It's a little chilly, but other than that, it seems normal to me."

"Really?" asked May, genuinely surprised Serena didn't find anything odd. "Everything just started feeling really weird to me all of a sudden... I don't know how to describe it. It almost feels like... like the air just got _thicker..._ or _heavier..._ "

"That's peculiar." observed Serena, walking on ahead. She didn't feel anything, and she wasn't going to pretend like she did. "Maybe you're just imagining it?"

"I guess..." sighed May, catching up with Serena.

* * *

"Alright Ashy-boy, I understand what you're telling me and all, but I still say go for Serena." said Gary, raising both hands up. Since Gary had not replied to his emergency text in the middle of the night, Ash had decided to go talk to Gary at the lab under the guise of 'dropping off his Kalos pokemon.' Gary was now giving the confused and stressed teen the advice he so desperately needed. "Yeah, from what you told me, the chances that May likes you are a lot higher than we originally thought what with the sleeping in your bed, the constant invading of your personal space, and the desire to travel with you in Kanto. But I still say go for Serena on the grounds that _I'd_ go for Serena. Those buns of hers are _not_ to be trifled with, if you know what I mea-"

"Wait, wait. Gary, _please_ shut up for a sec." said Ash, his eyes darting around the room. "You feel that?"

"Feel what?" asked Gary, irritated that Ash interrupted him.

"I don't know what it is exactly..." answered Ash, still looking rather unsettled. "It feels like everything just, like, shifted. Like a wave of weight just washed over the room..."

"Listen Ashy-boy, I'm about give you a freaking sermon on the importance of there being junk in your girlfriend's trunk. Don't interrupt me for some imaginary sixth-sense bullshit, 'kay?"

"You don't feel it?" asked Ash incredulously. He then removed his hat placed a hand on his head, running his fingers through his hair. "Ugh, It's getting even worse by the second!"

"I don't know what you're talking abou-"

"How can you not feel it?!" snapped Ash.

* * *

"Something's wrong... something's really, _really_ wrong." said May, stopping again.

"Okay, seriously? I don't feel anything. Are you trying to prank me or something?" replied Serena, turning around on her heels. May had a hand on her head, and her legs were beginning to tremble. Realizing that May wasn't playing around in any way whatsoever, Serena frowned. "May... are you okay? What's going on?"

"I don't... know..." groaned the brunette, one eye closed. "It's like something... something enormous is just breathing down on the whole area... like we're in a box, and it's slowly getting smaller and smaller... Serena, we need to go. Something's not right here!"

"But May, I don't feel anythi-"

"We need to go!" growled May, grabbing Serena's hand.

"Whoahhhaaaaaaaaahhhh!" yelled Serena as May forcefully led her down the path to Professor Oak's ranch, running a little faster than Serena's unprepared legs could handle.

* * *

"Pikapi pika pika!" cried Pikachu, who had to jump from Ash's shoulder to the floor for his own safety.

"What Pikachu said!" agreed Gary, watching as both of Ash's hands lay clutched on his raven-hair. "There's literally nothing going on! Why are you freaking out, man?!"

"Because there _is_ something going on." seethed Ash through gritted teeth. "I don't know what it is, but something's up!"

"Okay, tell me exactly what you're feeling." ordered Gary, taking a step closer to Ash. "If you're having chest pains and can't feel your arm, you're most likely experiencing the symptoms of a heart-"

"I'm not having a goddamn heart attack, Gary!" snarled Ash.

* * *

"May what's going onnnnnn?!" screamed Serena, simply unable to keep up with May's all-out sprint. "At least slow down! I'm gonna fall or pull a muscle if I keep running like this!"

"Something's coming!" answered May, adrenaline rushing. "I don't know who, what, where, why, or how, but something's coming!"

* * *

Suddenly, Ash's whole body shuddered, causing a worried groan/yelp to come from him. "Ohhhh shit shit shit, we need to get out of here Gary, ASAP! Now! Right now! Something's coming!"

"Fine, if you're so convinced that something spooky is amiss, then we'll go outside." said Gary, walking towards the door.

And that's when it happened.

Before Gary could get to the door, a blinding blue light shone from that direction, causing Ash, Gary, and Pikachu to shield their eyes. When they removed their hands from their eyes, they were met with an image that none of them would soon forget: a figure wearing a blue hooded cloak standing in front of the door. The entirety of the person's body was concealed by the blue garb, the cloak even hiding their arms. Around this figure danced glowing wisps of blue energy, some of said wisps disappearing into the air upon separation from the hooded figure's personal space.

Ash couldn't help but recognize the blue energy; it was the same one he had manipulated in the Tree of the Beginning all those years ago.

 _"An Aura Guardian...?"_ he thought, mouth agape in awe.

"Uh, excuse me." said Gary, crossing his arms. Ash immediately looked at Gary like he was crazy; a look Gary Oak was not at all new to receiving. "Hi, the name's Gary Oak, grandson of Professor Samuel Oak, who owns this lab and ranch. That was quite the entrance, sir. Very blue. I hate to break it to ya, but the lab isn't open right now, our hours are from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. So, with all due respect, I'm gonna have to ask you to come back in an hour or two."

Paying Gary no mind, the hooded Guardian walked straight towards Ash. This, of course, left Gary very offended.

"Hey! I said we're not open right now, Houdini!" hollered Gary. "Since I already asked you nicely, here, I'll say it with more pizzazz: Get the fuck out of my goddamn la- GAHHHHHHHHH!"

With the flick of a hand, the Guardian blasted Gary away with a burst of Aura, sending the brown haired Researcher crashing into a nearby desk.

"Do not interfere." ordered the Guardian, fully outstretching his hand towards Gary.

Before the teen could get up, two bar-like constructs of Aura held him down, binding him to the desk he had been flung into. Gary immediately tried to wriggle free of the constraints, but his efforts were in vain; they were unbreakable by someone who did not wield the power to control Aura.

With Gary taken care of, the Guardian turned to Ash and Pikachu, who were standing across the room, both looking absolutely livid over the way Gary was treated.

"Who are you?!" barked Ash, just one second away from ordering Pikachu to electrocute this stranger. "What do you want?!"

"I am a Guardian of the Aura." said the Guardian simply, returning the hand he had used on Gary back to the confines of his cloak. "I want you, Ashton Ketchum, for you are a Guardian as well. The time has come for your training to begin."

"I'm not an Aura Guardian, I'm a Pokemon Trainer." retorted Ash. "I know that in the Tree of Beginning I manipulated Aura, but that was only with the help of Sir Aaron's gloves. I'm by no means skilled enough or qualified to be an Aura Guardian, so release Gary, now!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that until you agree to come with me. Perhaps I can persuade you..."

The Aura Guardian revealed his hand again, and once again, he pointed it towards Gary. His hand glowed blue, and suddenly Gary began to grunt. It seemed the two bars that were holding him down were getting tighter and tighter, sending a crippling pain through Gary's arms and torso.

"I will tighten his bonds until you agree." declared the Guardian, returning his hand to his cloak. "At the rate I'm tightening them, he only has 5 minutes until his ribs are completely crushed."

"Ohhhhaaaahhhhhh, goddammit Ashy-boy, just do what he says!" cried Gary, struggling against the tightening constructs.

"I've got a better idea," declared Ash. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Sparks already flying from the rodent's cheeks, Pikachu charged up all the electricity he could muster, unleashing it on the mysterious Guardian. Unfortunately, the attack seemed to be completely useless, for the Guardian swatted the bolt away with ease, redirecting it to Gary, who was promptly zapped.

"OWWWWW! Dammit!" screamed Gary, writhing in pain. "Listen, Dumbledore, that one was some fuckin' bullshit! I didn't even say anything that time!"

"This is your final warning." stated the hooded man, ignoring Gary's words. "Refuse again, and I'll take you by force."

"What kind of Aura Guardian are you?!" growled Ash, pointing to the stranger angrily. "Aura Guardians are supposed to be noble warriors, people that protect others, not hurt them!"

"If you do not come with me, then approximately 7 billion people will be hurt, and it'll all be your fault." answered the Guardian. "That would make you even worse of a person than I am, would it not? And have most of my actions thus far not been caused by you, who have been pushing me further and further each time? Do not be a fool. If you wish to protect the ones you love and this planet as a whole, cease your stubborn foolishness _,_ come with me, and become an Aura Guardian."

"What's so special about me?" asked Ash, watching as the bonds around Gary continued to tighten.

"More than you understand, boy. You are the Chosen Guardian of Arceus, destined to be the one of the most powerful Aura Guardians of all eternity! The bloods of two of the Five Great Aura Guardian clans run through your veins! From your father's side you obtained the blood of a Ketchum, and on your mother's the blood of an Arlon! With such a combination, you are destined for greatness! You are the Guardian chosen to save-"

Before the Guardian could finish his sentence, the sound of a door bursting open sounded. Already facing the door, Ash could see who the newcomers were; May and Serena. Both girls were breathing quite heavily, but their facial expressions were completely different. May looked stressed, almost angry, while Serena's face held nothing but confusion and exhaustion.

"Ash!" shouted May in between deep breaths. She looked around, and as soon as she saw the Aura Guardian, she realized the feeling she'd been having was coming from him. "We need to get out of here, Ash! There's something up with that guy! He's dangerous!"

"No shit." moaned Gary, the Aura Guardian's bindings dangerously close to reaching rib-crushing strength.

The Aura Guardian slowly turned around, examining both girls. Even though his face remained concealed by his hood, the awareness that his gaze was cast upon them was enough to send a chill of fear through both girls' bodies.

"Ah, yes, the Maple girl. It only makes sense that she'd be able to sense my presence as well..." he muttered, outstretching his hand towards both girls. "I'm afraid Ashton and I were having a conversation that simply cannot be interrupted. Please, do not interfere, ladies."

Just like he did Gary, the Guardian wrapped each girl in two constructs of blue energy. Ash's eyes widened as the Aura Guardian proceeded to send both bound girls flying towards the wall, both letting out cries of pain when their backs hit the brick surface. As still as a statue, Ash stared at both girls after they collided with the wall.

After her scream, Serena lost her balance and sunk to the floor, tears of pain and fear running down her cheeks. Having never seen or even heard of an Aura Guardian in her life, the thirty seconds that she'd been in the room were already proving to be too much for her to handle. She kept on looking back and forth between Ash and the Guardian, both the extreme confusion the worry for Ash's safety clear in her teary eyes.

Unlike Serena, May had been able to stay on her feet. She seemed to be wincing, a few whimpers escaping her lips. At first, Ash wondered why, but he realized why when he saw a trail of blood run from the brunette's elbow down the wall. Ash was unable to see the cut from his angle, but the amount of blood dripping made it clear that it was a bad one. Despite the burning pain she was feeling, May was trying with all her might to wriggle out of the bonds.

"Now," said the Guardian, turning back towards Ash. "as I was sayi-"

Instead of standing across the room like the Guardian had expected him to be, Ash was now just a step away from the Guardian, fist ready to punch. Caught off guard, the hooded man was forced to duck, narrowly dodging Ash's fist. But Ash's punch was not a complete waste; it may not have met the Guardian's face, but it did meet his hood, removing it.

"I won't let you hurt my friends anymore!" yelled Ash, his rage having reached a boiling point. He looked down at the Guardian, ready to punch again, but froze when he saw the man's revealed visage. The long grayish-blue hair and blue eyes were unmistakable. Ash's eyes widened in complete shock, as the man before him was supposed to have disappeared 3 years ago. "T-tobias?!"

At the sound of the familiar name, Serena's eyes widened. The man that had beaten Ash in Sinnoh with a Darkrai and a Latios, the same man that was said to have vanished after his victory... was standing right before her, manipulating some sort of blue energy. It all seemed absolutely impossible to her, like she was in some horrible, extremely realistic nightmare.

"I believe I warned you earlier that, if pushed too far, I'd take you by force." sighed Tobias, both his hands glowing blue. "You have forced my hand, Ashton."

With one hand, Tobias pushed Ash, sending the raven-haired Trainer flying to the wall so fast that nobody's eyes could properly follow him. Upon collision, Ash immediately felt an overwhelming sense of dizziness. By the time his double-vision returned to normal and everything stopped spinning, Tobias was already in front of him. Without any hesitation, Tobias grabbed hold of Ash's neck, holding on tight. Finding it difficult to breathe under such a grip, Ash began to cough and sputter, his hands instinctively trying to pry Tobias's hand off his throat.

"Stop, please!" sobbed Serena, watching as Tobias's free hand began to pulsate with Aura.

"Get your hands off of him!" commanded May, having completely forgotten about her bleeding elbow at this point.

"Silence." ordered Tobias calmly, tightening the bonds he placed on both girls.

Both of them screamed, the pain almost too much to bear. Still conscious, Ash tried to say something, but found that Tobias's grip prevented him from speaking. With his free hand fully charged with Aura, Tobias delivered a devastating blow to Ash's abdomen, causing the teen's eyes to widen in pain.

"NOOOOOOO!" screamed Serena, while May watched in horror.

A sole trail of blood trickled from Ash's mouth as the pain from Tobias's punch radiated to every corner of his body. Feeling his consciousness slipping from lack of air, Ash removed his hands from Tobias's, officially giving up.

"A wise choice." commented Tobias, removing his hand from Ash's throat.

The trainer's limp body fell to the floor, seeming to be void of any life. He landed on his side, his brown eyes still open. He seemed to be looking at May and Serena, but the girls could tell that he couldn't see them. There was no life in his eyes, no warmth. Just cold nothingness.

"No... he can't be..." whimpered May, eyes wide.

"He is." confirmed Tobias, picking up Ash's limp body. "He's no longer of this world. Forgive me, but I have done this solely out of necessity. Had he just listened to me, I wouldn't have had to-"

"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" screamed Serena, still crying. Unable to move her arms or torso, she resorted to kicking around like a 5-year old throwing a temper tantrum. "A MONSTER! A MURDERER! HOW COULD YOU?! ASH, PLEASE! ASH, WAKE UP! ASHHHHH!"

"He can't be..." continued May, eyes still wide in shock. "Ash can't be..."

Gary had long since succumbed to the grip of Tobias's constructs, having lost consciousness around the time Ash had decided to attack the Aura Guardian.

"Me? A monster?" asked Tobias, seeming to be incredibly amused. "No, young woman. I am an Aura Guardian. I am simply doing that which needs to be done to ensure the safety of this world. No matter what, as long as my goal is met, it matters not how I do it. I gave this young man a choice, and he chose to defy me. This is the consequence. Know this: you'll be grateful for my actions some day."

And with that, Tobias began to glow brighter and brighter, until he and Ash were no longer visible. The light held a radiance like no other, forcing both girls to shut their eyes and look away. But Pikachu, unwilling to let the Guardian take Ash away, ran into the light right as it disappeared, vanishing along with it. This left just the girls and an unconscious Gary Oak in the lab. The Aura constructs that restrained them dissipated, allowing free movement for everyone. But nobody moved. Nobody _could_ move.

It would have been impossible for them to fathom if they had not seen it themselves. And even though they saw it with their own eyes, it was still nearly impossible to comprehend.

Ash Ketchum... was gone.

* * *

 **And that's that.**

 **So, I'm aware that this story is being read by both Amourshippers and Advanceshippers alike. Being a supporter of both those shippings, I'm fine with Ash ending up with either girl. BUT... me choosing the ending isn't very interesting, is it? So, yes, the final pairing of the story will be decided in a poll. But this is no ordinary poll. Well, it is an ordinary poll, but it's not something I advise you all to vote on as soon as you finish reading this chapter. Yes, the poll is open now, but I suggest you wait. May and Serena's personalities are going to change throughout this story. If you're really dedicated to one of them ending up with Ash, then by all means, vote now. But if you want to see how things play out before you use your one and only vote... I suggest you hold off on voting. And, by the way, the endings for each pairing won't be interchangeable. If Ash chooses Serena, the story from the chapter he chooses her onwards will be different than if he chooses May. So vote wisely!  
**

 **Of course, I will alert you all when the chapter he chooses is approaching, but for now, nobody except me knows when that is!**

 **Well, that's all this time. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
**

 **...**

 **Is Ash truly dead?**

 **How will this series of sudden events affect May and Serena?**

 **When will the Visorshipping in this story begin?**

 **Find out in the next installment of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura!**

 **Seeya,**

 **DarkSlash9**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Sorry for the long wait. The beginning of the school year is always a busy time for me, but it's even tougher now because I'm a senior and have added college applications and visits to the mix. Hopefully the next update wont take as long, but I really can't make any promises. Sorry :(.  
**

 **Quick things I should say: In this story, Ash and friends never met Riley. And May never met Dawn. I don't like changing the canon much, but... yeah.**

 **Q &A:**

Infernape15

But sir aaron, riley are all here! And more importantly, sir aaron's alive?!  
Also, why does Ash seem so much of a dumbass and clueless?

 **Answer: Sir Aaron's dead, and so are all the other Guardians in the Corridors of the Aura**

PolarDawn

What was with May being all emotionless there at one point?

 **Answer: I'm purposely keeping what's going on with May a mystery. Everything about her will come to light in the next chapter.**

Bulbreon

Q: Does Delia know anything about this?

 **Answer: The extent of Delia's knowledge about Aura will be revealed in a couple chapters.**

WalleFails

Q:why have you decided to let us choose the shipping?

 **Answer: Well... I wanted to try something new. That's really all it comes down to :P. And I'm nearly equal between Amour and Advance, so I know I'll be able to write an ending no matter which girl wins.**

Guest

How do you vote for the poll?

 **Answer: You have to have an account. Once you have one, you go on my profile and click the link at the top. You can only vote from a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or anything.**

hryepuru

what does visorshipping mean... like who and who are in it?

 **Answer: Visorshipping is Nate and Rosa.**

 **Alright, before the chapter, let me address one thing that I've been hearing a lot. "Why make a poll when Serena's gonna win?". All I have to say is that the votes will do the talking guys. Yes, Amourshipping is the most popular right now, but I'm mainly an Advanceshipping author, so plenty of Advanceshippers that follow me and my stories are reading this too. Don't count May out!**

 **Alright, enjoy Chapter 3!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

 **III**

* * *

"I cannot believe we are having such a conversation at a time like this."

"Well, believe it or not, we're having it, Sir Tobias. Cereal is, in fact, a breakfast soup."

"I don't even know what cereal is, that wasn't around during my time on Earth. Care to fill me in, Sir Riley?"

"Watch, once I explain it to Sir Aaron, he'll agree with me. Okay, it's like these small crunchy bits usually made from either corn, rice, or oats. They float in a bowl of milk, and you eat them with a spoon."

"Oh, well then, I suppose it _does_ sound like a soup. Though, I've never heard of a soup that uses milk as the base liquid..."

"It's not a freakin' soup, doesn't a soup gotta be hot?"

"Not necessarily, Sir Branford. Gazpacho is a perfect example of a cold soup."

"Gaz-what?"

"Ah yes, Gazpacho. It's a Spanish soup, I believe. Quite deliciou-"

"This conversation needs to end right this instant. I bring us the Chosen Guardian, and you all decide that discussing whether a common man's breakfast dish can be considered a soup is more important than-"

"Than what? Staring at him until he wakes up? Yes, that is _definitely_ the most productive thing we could be doing right now. Listen, if you don't wanna take part in this debate, then go have a staring contest with your Darkrai or something."

"Oh damn, I believe shots have just been fired. Sir Riley vs. Sir Tobias, let the dissing begin!"

Ash's eyes slowly opened, a pounding headache being the first thing he experienced upon his awakening. His sight was blurry at first, but as he fully came to, his vision cleared up, allowing him to silently observe his surroundings. He seemed to be on a royal blue and black tiled floor, the colors alternating in a checkerboard-like fashion. The floor was the base for what seemed like a long hall, one that branched off into many other corridors and paths. The walls and ceiling resembled those of a Gothic church; stone and archaic. Windows adorned the walls, but there was nothing but pitch black void to be seen from them.

"It is shenanigans like yours that make me wonder how a man like you ever mastered Aura in the first place."

"Shenanigans like _mine_? Oh please, compared to Sir Branford over there, I'm a saint."

"I'm right here y'know... _*cough*_ dick _*cough*_..."

Despite the aching in his head begging him not to, Ash raised his head a little, allowing him to see the owners of the voices that most likely woke him. There were 5 figures, all of them in blue hoods and cloaks. All 5 had their hoods on, concealing their faces. Two of them seemed to be right in front of each other, neither looking very happy with the other. Two others stood nearby, watching the first two argue, and finally, the 5th one was quite far away, his back leaning against the wall.

"What's going... on?" muttered the dizzy teen, thinking aloud.

At the sound of Ash's voice, all 5 hooded Guardians turned to Ash, completely startled. At the sight of hooded figures wearing blue cloaks staring him down, memories of previous events began to pour into Ash's mind; Professor Oak's ranch, Gary, May, Serena, everything.

"Wh-where am I?!" he asked, struggling to sit up. "Where are May, Serena, and Gary?! Where's Tobias?! I'll beat his ass for hurting my friends! I'll-"

"Calm down, young one." answered one of the Guardians, taking a step closer to Ash. He removed his hood, revealing a face that Ash had seen before. "You are in the Corridors of the Aura, a safe-haven for Aura Guardians that is located in a dimension separate from the Earth's. Your friends are all alive, though, due to a certain _someone's_ actions _*glares at Sir Tobias*_... I doubt that they're _well_."

"Sir Aaron...?" asked Ash, awed. "But... I thought you were dead...?"

"He is," answered one of the other Guardians, removing his hood. Shiny grayish-blue hair cascaded from the hood, the man's ever-calm stare causing a fire to burn in Ash's soul. "and so are you."

"Tobias!" growled Ash, attempting to stand up.

But before he could even get to his feet, two things stopped him. His headache, which increased in intensity the more he moved, and a blue cage that had suddenly materialized around him. After recovering from the pulse of cranial pain, Ash examined the prison that had just appeared around him. It looked similar to what Sir Tobias had used to bind his friends, meaning it was made of Aura.

"Thank you, Sir Riley." thanked Sir Tobias, turning to one of the other hooded Guardians.

Through the hood, Ash could already see two glowing blue eyes. When this Sir Riley character removed his hood, however, Ash was given a full look at the man. He looked considerably younger than Sir Aaron and Sir Tobias, and he looked almost exactly like Sir Aaron, save for a few differences such as shape of head and nose length. His eyes were still glowing, though he didn't seem like he was concentrating at all.

"H-how is he...?" murmured Ash, unable to comprehend how this Sir Riley guy was controlling the cage. His hands were still concealed by his cloak, and his face looked 100% relaxed. There was no way he could have been making the prison. When Sir Tobias had made the simple restraints for his friends, Ash had noticed that the restraints required a hand gesture. Why did the same rules not apply for this man? "He's not..."

"It's what I do." answered Sir Riley with a smirk.

"Sir Riley is a member of the Gen Clan, giving him the natural ability to control and shape his Aura far easier than the rest of us." explained Sir Aaron.

"Gen... Clan...?" asked Ash, tilting his head.

"Oh, I thought that you'd have already known about the 5 Clans..." admitted Sir Aaron, sounding a little disappointed.

"5... clans...?" asked Ash, eyes narrowing.

"My oh my, you don't know anything about about the history of Aura, do you?" sighed Sir Aaron.

"Any... thing...?"

"Sweet Arceus above," chuckled another hooded Guardian, shaking his head. He then removed his hood, revealing short brown hair, a goatee, and face that looked like that of a 40 year-old man's. "we're dealing with a real wiz kid here, huh?"

"Sir Branford, leave him be. In the world he lives in, Aura Guardians are no more than the subjects of urban legends and folk lore. In a world where our numbers are so small that people question if we ever even existed, it shouldn't be a surprise that he knows nothing of Aura." said Sir Aaron, gripping his staff. He then turned to Ash, who was blankly staring at him from behind the bars of Sir Riley's cage. "Since you seem to have no knowledge of the history of the Aura Guardians, allow me to give you an abridged explanation."

Ash sighed and rolled his eyes. "With all due respect, Sir Aaron, I don't want an explanation, I want to go back to my frien-"

"Lonnnnnng ago," began Sir Aaron, blatantly ignoring Ash. "in a time before modern technology and large nations, the world was in a state of turmoil. Violence ruled the land. But one day, having seen enough of said violence, Arceus bestowed amazing powers to the purest men, women, and pokemon in the land, creating the first Aura Guardians. The Aura Guardians worked hard to bring peace, and after years of work, they almost did. But right when things were just about perfect, a young man named Brecht was born. Brecht was a powerful child, having been the son of two powerful Aura Guardians. But he was also incredibly narcissistic and cruel, which led him down the path to darkness. He gathered a dark army, declared war on the Aura Guardians, and almost won. On the final day of the war, Arceus intervened and saved the last 5 Aura Guardians in the world, ending the war. He sealed Brecht and his army away for 10,000 years, and told the Guardians that the seal would one day weaken and Brecht would escape. But when he did, a Chosen Guardian would rise and defeat him. That was about 9,995 years ago. We believe- no, we _know_ you are the Chosen Guardian, so now you're here. We're going to train you for the next 5 years so you can save the world! Isn't that exciting?"

"...No." answered Ash, giving Sir Aaron nothing but a blank stare. "Wait, what? I'm sorry, I didn't really understand half the things you said, but what I did understand is that you want me to stay here for _5 years._ That's a definite no."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter." replied Sir Aaron. "Come now, doesn't it sound... ah, what do you children call it nowadays? Ah yes, _radical_. Doesn't it sound totally gnarly-radical off-the-wall far-outta sight? Saving the world and such?"

"Nobody talks like that anymore." droned Ash. "And I'd like to think I have a choice when it comes to whether I want to live a normal life or become some crazy Chosen Guardian that's supposed to kill some evil warlock guy. Sorry, but I think you guys may have kidnapped the wrong person. I'm just a Pokemon Trainer who tries to be the best like no one ever wa-"

"Ashton Ketchum." interrupted Sir Tobias, taking a step forward. "I know that you remember me. Yes, I brought you here, but we've known each other before that. You remember, the Lily of the Valley Conference."

"How could I forget?" grumbled Ash, glaring at Sir Tobias.

"There was a reason behind my appearance in that tournament. No, it was not to crush the dreams of teenagers, though I admit that was quite enjoyable. The true reason I was there was to examine _you_. We first gained true interest in you during the incident in the Tree of Beginning. Sir Aaron sensed your manipulation of both his and your own Aura, and he insisted that there was both great potential in you, and the chance that you could be ' _The One_ '. From then on, we watched you. After spending many months analyzing your personality and moral code, I decided it was time to shift into the next phase and pay you a visit myself. You were nearing the end of your Sinnoh journey at the time. The sole purpose of my presence at the Lily of the Valley Conference was to thoroughly read your Aura. What I saw in you that day was a perfect match to what the Chosen Guardian should be. A brave, pure-hearted young man or woman with great power resting deep inside. I sensed the powers of more than one clan in you, which-"

"You guys keep talking about these _'clans'_..." groaned Ash, rubbing his temples. "Can you _please_ explain what they are so I can _somewhat_ understand what you're saying? Jeez..."

"We got a real sass-machine here..." grumbled Sir Branford. "Alright, listen up. The 5 Great Aura Guardian Clans are the descendants of the 5 Aura Guardians that survived the war. The members of these clans all carry the gene to control Aura, along with a few specific traits associated with each clan. You're lucky, because all us Guardians here are each members of different clans, so you'll be getting the full course menu of teachers. As Sir Aaron said before, Sir Riley is of the Gen Clan, who are known for their exceptional skill in shaping and controlling their Aura. Sir Aaron's from the Arlon Clan, which is often referred to as the Powerhouse Clan due to the ridiculous amounts of Aura they can put out."

"Okay... Arlon and Gen..." repeated Ash, slowly nodding his head. "What about the other three?"

"Sir Branford, which is the guy who was just talking, is from the Maple Clan." continued Sir Riley, who still had Ash in an Aura cage. "Their ability is a little different from the first two. Their Aura is known to have a strong connection to their emotions, meaning the more intense they feel, the stronger they get. Certain emotions tend to have different effects on the Aura. For example, anger or rage usually increases the destructive power, while sadness actually weakens it."

Ash's eyes widened, recognizing that last name. "Maple? Maple is-"

"Yup, one of your gal pals is part of my clan, meaning she might have the ability to use Aura." said Sir Branford. "And according to Sir Tobias, since she was able to sense his presence, she definitely has the active gene in her. If I were you, I'd hop on that right after your trainin', just sayin'. But anyway, back to the clans. The fourth clan is the Hylus Clan, and one of their last remaining descendants is that guy over there."

Sir Branford pointed to the only Guardian yet to remove his hood, the one who was on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall. Strapped to his back was a shield, as well as a sword. When Sir Branford pointed to him, he removed his hood, revealing bright blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. His facial expression was neutral, and he said nothing.

"That's Sir Hylus." said Sir Branford. "Now, the Hylus Clan is by far the weirdest of the 5 Clans. There has never been a female Guardian in the Hylus Clan at all, because there has not been a single girl born from the Hylus Clan in all of history. They're always male for some reason. Even weirder, they all have the same blonde hair, and the same blue eyes. The sword they use is a hand-me-down, passed down from generation to generation. None of them speak either, and they're all simply called 'Sir Hylus'. Due to these odd customs, it's often joked that the Hylus Clan isn't a clan at all, just the same guy bein' reincarnated over and over again. Their unique ability is that they all seem to be born with the natural battle instinct to wield almost any weapon known to man. Arrows, bombs, hammers, axes, swords... they could probably take down a Rayquaza with a toothpick if they had to."

"Hm, sounds kinda familiar, almost like a video game... Wait..." said Ash, eyes narrowing. "So if there's 5 Clans, then that must mean the last one is the Ketchum Clan, right? Because when Tobias _abducted_ me, he was saying something about me being from both the Ketchum and Arlon Clans..."

"Yes." answered Sir Tobias. "That is why your Aura was similar to Sir Aaron's in the Tree of Beginning. Half of your blood is of the same clan as his."

"Yeah cool whatever." said Ash, waving his hand dismissively as he continued talking. "But if each of you represent one of the clans, then that means-"

"Yes, Sir Tobias is a Ketchum." said Sir Aaron.

Eyes so wide that they could have fallen out of their sockets, Ash looked at Sir Tobias, who's face had not changed from its perpetual state of calm.

"What?" asked Tobias, raising an eyebrow.

"Please... don't tell me you're my dad." said Ash monotonously.

"I'm not." answered Sir Tobias. "I'm your grandfather's uncle. I am sorry to inform you, but your father died a long time ago. He was just a normal man, having never awakened his Aura."

"Oh..." said Ash, only slightly affected at the revelation of his father's death. He'd never met his father, his mom having told him that the man had left on a pokemon journey years ago. But even though he never forged an actual father-son bond with his dad, he was still sad to hear that he was dead. "I see..."

Ash didn't see it, but all the other Guardians in the room's faces had seemed to darken a little at the mention of his father. Only Sir Tobias had been able to keep a straight face. After Sir Tobias's explanation, everyone's faces relaxed a bit, realizing that Sir Tobias didn't plan on sticking to that topic.

Once he got over the news, Ash looked back up at the Guardians.

"Okay, so what's the Ketchum Clan's special thing?"

"It's an ability you've demonstrated countless times through the beginning of your travels, Ashton." answered Sir Tobias. "Members of the Ketchum Clan have the innate ability to form bonds with pokemon much easier than any other clan. This is why the bonds between you and all your pokemon are so strong, because you've subconsciously been establishing pseudo empathy links with them. It's also why you've been able to survive all your encounters with legendary pokemon. They do their best to save you due to these subconscious empathy links. They can sense that you're not like most other humans."

"Is that how you caught a Darkrai and a Latios?" asked Ash.

"Indeed. But do understand, forming a full link with a legendary pokemon is worlds apart from forging one with a regular pokemon in regards to difficulty. So much that I cannot form any other links while linked with Darkrai and Latios."

"What are the benefits of forming a link?" asked Ash, seeming very interested in the concept.

"Well for starters, you share a closer bond with them, a bond that most people don't have with their pokemon. A complete link with a pokemon will not only connect your minds, but allow you and your pokemon to coordinate attacks and battle without speaking. Your minds would be in perfect sync."

"Woah... that sounds like it'd come in handy... Can I learn to establish those?" asked Ash childishly. "It'd definitely come in handy during battles... especially against the Elite 4..."

"Look kiddo, I don't know how many times we need to say it, but you're not leavin' here any time soon." snapped Sir Branford. "Beatin' the Elite 4 won't save the world. Stayin' with us will."

"Listen guys," started Ash, looking at each Guardian before continuing. "I guess I understand why you brought me here and all, but really, I don't think you have the right guy. There's definitely someone out there who is MUCH more qualified than I am. Look at me, I can barely even talk to women, let alone save the world. Also, I can't just leave my life behind and train for 5 years. There's people that are going to be wondering what happened to me, and I can't just leave them like that. I'm only 17. Still a kid. There's no way I'm this 'Chosen Guardian' guy. You all seem powerful, why can't you guys just deal with this Mister Bread guy when he escapes from his seal?"

"First of all, his name is Master Brecht, not Mister Bread." replied Sir Riley. "And as much as we'd like to go and kill him ourselves, we simply can't. Sir Aaron's short explanation didn't really give you a full scope in regards to his power. He is, without a doubt, the strongest wielder of Aura to ever live. The guy is literally a monster. Our plan is to have you train with us for 5 years, and by the end of those 5 years, you'll be stronger than all of us combined. Given the fact that you have the massive Aura reserves of an Arlon and the pokemon skills of a Ketchum, you will definitely be able to give Master Brecht a run for his money if you reach your maximum potential. And if _you're_ not the Chosen Guardian, that would mean the only other options are either Max Maple or May Maple, as they are the only other potential Guardians somewhat old enough to begin training. All the other Guardians in the world of the living are either too old or not old enough. I doubt you'd want the Maple siblings here instead of _you,_ hm?"

"But..."

"Think of it this way;" said Sir Aaron. "if you choose to go back and don't train with us, then yes, you will be reunited with your friends. But in 5 years when Master Brecht is free, you'll all die quite gruesome deaths because there will be no one to stop him from taking over the world and killing all those who have the potential to stand in his way. If you stay here, then we can give you the strength to stop that. Even if you don't believe you're the Chosen Guardian, - which you most likely _will_ believe by the end of your training - you'll have the strength to defend your loved ones. So in short, if you don't want to watch everyone perish, you'll stay here and train to protect them. I know.. you want to go back to those two girls... but going back will only seal their fate. You want to protect them, don't you?"

"Yes... I want to protect everyone." answered Ash quietly, beginning to understand. "I guess... I guess I'll stay. But only so I can protect my friends. If this Master Brecht guy is as dangerous as you say, then I want to be as strong as possible so I can protect everyone. I'll train."

"I am glad you see things our way." said Sir Tobias, reaching into the hidden confines of his cloak. "Do not worry, you will have company during your training."

"Company?" asked Ash,

"Yes." said Sir Tobias, pulling an unconscious Pikachu out of his cloak.

Ash grinned. "Pikachu!"

"He grabbed me right as I transported us here. Seeing as he's the pokemon you're closest with, I suppose it would only make sense for him to stay here and train with you. He'll be one of your partners when your training is done."

Sir Tobias placed Pikachu on the floor, right by the bottom of Ash's prison. And with that, all 5 Guardians in the room began to walk away, leaving Ash in the cage. Incredibly confused, Ash looked at them as if they were insane.

"Hey! Where are you guys going?!"

"Your training begins now." called Sir Aaron, exiting the room with the rest of the Guardians. "Your first task is to escape that cage. May the Aura be with you!"

"You can't be serious!" shouted Ash.

Unfortunately, they were 100% serious. The Aura Guardians left, leaving Ash trapped in Sir Riley's cage. Already annoyed, Ash let out a heavy sigh, examining his surroundings. Besides himself and his unconscious Pikachu, nothing else was in the room. With an irritated growl, Ash wrapped his hands around two bars of the cage, pulling them with all his might. They didn't budge at all, the constructs seeming to be as strong as steel despite their delicate appearance. After a couple minutes of unfruitful attempts, Ash let out a frustrated roar and threw his hands up into the air, giving up.

"This is ridiculous..." he sighed. _"How am I supposed to get out of this thing? I've never used Aura without Sir Aaron's gloves... I told them they had the wrong guy... I could have all the power in the world... but it means nothing if I don't have the ability to tap into it..."_

Ash's eyes shifted to the yellow mouse just outside of the cage, which seemed to be waking up.

"Pika..." grumbled Pikachu as he slowly sat up, his back turned to Ash. _**"Where-**_ kachu..."

Ash frowned. He had just heard the oddest thing. For a split second, it seemed like Pikachu's voice echoed in his mind, except Ash could understand the words perfectly. But as quickly as the voice appeared, it disappeared, returning to normal pika-speak.

"Pikachu?" asked Ash, gaining the rodent's attention.

"Pi?" asked Pikachu, quickly turning around. The mouse's face stretched into a large grin when he saw that his Trainer was alive and well. "Pikapi **_okay! What_** ka ** _relief, man,_** pikachu pi, pika _**you**_ chu _ **dead!"**_

"You what?" asked Ash, eyes narrowing. "You thought I was dead?"

 _"_ Pikachu pi **_Tobias guy choked you out! Of course I thought you were dea-..."_** Pikachu paused, leaning forward a bit. ** _"Wait, you_ ** pikachu pi _ **I was** **saying?"**_

"Uh, yeah." answered Ash. "It's getting easier to understand you the more you talk, actually..."

 _ **"But... how?**_ Pika _ **where are we?"**_

"We're in some place in another dimension... We've been brought here to train and learn how to use Aura, because apparently I'm some kind of Chosen One destined to save the world. Go figure, right? Anyway, I think the reason I can understand you is because of this ability that the Aura Guardians here told me I have... Somehow, I think I'm establishing a full mental link with you right now... it's the only explanation I can think of for whats happening right now."

 _ **"YOU? YOU'RE supposed to save the world?!"**_ asked Pikachu, finding humor in Ash's words. **_"HAH, bruh, you can't even see that May is totally the better choice than Serena. How's a blind man like you gonna save the planet? Also, if you haven't noticed, you're in a cage. Can't really save the world from a cage."_**

"I'm just gonna ignore what you said about May and Serena and address the cage instead." droned Ash. "After I agreed to train, the Aura Guardians told me my first task is to break out of this cage, which they put me in right after I woke up. But how can I? I can't use Aura without putting on Sir Aaron's gloves... They want me to save the world and everything, too... Pikachu, I really don't think I'm cut out for this. The only reason I agreed to train was so I could protect May, Serena, and everyone else in the future... But can I even do that? This cage is indestructible..."

 ** _"Well, you have to have SOME kind of skill with Aura without the gloves... if you didn't, then this mental link thing wouldn't be working right now. So try harder. Also, I was just joking earlier. Honestly, hearing that you're a Chosen One isn't really that big of a surprise if you consider all the crazy shit we've been throug-"_**

"Pikachu... I didn't know you use swears..."

 _ **"What the fuck do you think I yell whenever I get hit in battles? Anyway, we've been through a lot. All those adventures with legendary pokemon... no ordinary guy could've gotten through those. You're probably more experienced in world-saving than anyone else on the planet. And Ash, in case you didn't know, protecting May and Serena is basically synonymous with saving the world, because the only way to ensure their safety when the time comes would be to defeat what's threatening them. Either way, you're gonna end up fighting the bad guy. The Aura Guardians probably knew that, which is why they were fine with you training only to protect the girls. If they think you're the guy for the job, the best thing to do is believe them. Clearly you have the qualifications... Now, give it another try. Just think of everyone you're trying to protect... May, Serena, Gary, Delia, Professor Oak, May... Use that determination to bust out of that thing."**_

"You said May's name twice."

 _ **"Team May all the way, bruh."**_

Ash rolled his eyes, placing his hands on the bars of the cage. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate, taking his thoughts to exactly where Pikachu told him to. There was a great evil rising, he thought. When this evil came, no one would be safe. Deep within him was the power to fight that evil. All he had to do was concentrate and bring it out. If he failed, his friends' lives would be at risk. If he failed, the world would be at risk. If he failed, May and Serena would be at risk. With all of that on the line, he knew he couldn't fail. He had never backed down from a challenge before, and he planned on keeping that record.

 _"I was useless when Tobias came... May, Gary, and Serena were hurt, and I couldn't do anything to protect them... I never want to feel that **useless**_ _ever again... never..."_

Ash began to pull at the bars again, and suddenly, a tingling sensation began to rush through his hands. His eyes opened wide, a gasp escaping his lips. Wisps of Aura were radiating from his hands, and the bars of the cage were slowly beginning to bend.

 ** _"There we go! Yeah, man!"_** said Pikachu, nodding. He looked up at Ash, noticing something different about his Trainer. It was the eyes. They weren't the usual brown that Pikachu was used to. " ** _Damn, you even got the glowing blue eyes!"_**

"I... can't... fail..." grunted Ash, slowly pulling the bars of the cage apart enough to create an opening to escape. It wasn't easy; he could barely maintain the small amount of Aura in his hands. "Pikachu... we can't fail... Are you ready? We're not... going... back... for a long time... I think... the Guardians said... 5 years..."

 _ **"Bruh, I'm with you til the end. I'm ready to stay here as long as it takes. Are you?"**_

"Not at all..." growled Ash, concentrating even more. With a small burst of blue light, The bars of the cage snapped to his grip, creating a space for him to exit from. As soon as he created the gap, Ash exhaled. After giving himself a few seconds to recover from the strain of using his own Aura for the first time, Ash slid out and stood to his feet. "... but I don't think it matters. I have to stay here, regardless of how I feel... I just hope everyone will be alright without me."

 _ **"They'll be okay... it's not like you're gone forever, right? We'll return when the training's done."**_

"Yeah..."

And so, Ash and Pikachu's training in the ways of the Aura began. As they trained, they kept in mind those who they were fighting for, the thought of returning to their friends and loved ones spurring them on whenever their limits were being pushed. Many times during their training did they imagine how their return to Earth would be like, envisioning themselves reuniting with the same faces that they had left.

But those were nothing but dreams.

There was no way for them to see what their friends were like while they were gone, giving them no indication of the changes that had occurred after their disappearance. The friends they looked forward to meeting were not the same friends they had been taken away from, not in the slightest...

...

* * *

...

"Serena... Serena, wake up."

Serena's eyes slowly opened, the Sun's bright light prompting her to immediately close them again.

"Serena, _get up_." said the voice, the tone a lot firmer this time. "You're going to be late for work if you don't."

"5 minutes, Mom." grumbled Serena monotonously.

"You said that 5 minutes ago." said Grace. "Get. up."

"Alright..." groaned Serena, slowly sitting up. She opened her eyes, making sure to turn away from her window as she did. She scowled at her mother, who simply stared back, unfazed by her daughter's glare. "I'm up. Happy?"

"Yes." said Grace, exiting the room.

With Grace gone, Serena laid back down. She didn't go back to sleep though; she simply stared at the ceiling, exhaling as she did so. She didn't want to go to work. She didn't want to do anything. What was the point of working? It wasn't like she made that much money. Minimum wage, big whoop. And being an assistant librarian at the public library wasn't exactly the type of job she looked forward to going to.

But who was she kidding? No profession in the world seemed appealing to her. _Nothing_ had since Ash's death a little over a year ago. She wasn't mourning anymore, but she wasn't back to normal either. On that fateful day, her whole life had changed. She went through so many different phases of despair in the last 13 months. The days after Ash's mysterious murder contained nothing but crying. After a couple days, she went back to Kalos, where the crying continued. A few months later, when she had regained some degree of stability, she returned to the Pokemon Performing scene. It did not go well, not at all. She had lost her will to perform, which led to lackluster performances that didn't come close to winning her a single princess key. Having realized her drive was as good as gone, Serena gave up her dream of being Kalos Queen, deciding to go back home to her mother.

She was 18 then, a legal adult. Because of this, her mother sat her down and gave her talk a few days after she returned home. Grace explained to Serena that she was no longer a child, and that she couldn't just stay in the house doing nothing anymore. After their talk, Serena reluctantly agreed to look for a job. She applied to many places, and many asked her for interviews, only to turn her down for unknown reasons after said interview. But eventually, one of the places she applied to accepted her, and that was the Vaniville Town Public Library. She had had the job for nearly 3 months now, and she hated it more and more each day. What she hated the most was the abundance of couples that seemed to frequently visit the library. She had nothing against the people themselves, but their presence only reminded her of Ash, and what she could have been with him if he hadn't been... killed.

"Ash..." she sighed, lethargically sliding out of her bed.

She had not cried over his death in many months, but she'd be lying if she said it wasn't haunting her to that very day. Perhaps what bothered her the most was the nature of his death; sudden and gruesome. And to add insult to injury, the killer had taken Ash's body with him, eliminating any chance of Serena gaining a sense of closure. The nature of that day affected Serena's personality for the rest of her days. She barely smiled anymore, and the joy in her eyes had all but vanished. She had gone from a happy, innocent young girl with dreams and a future to a pessimistic, irritable, anti-social recluse with no aspirations or goals. At first, her mother had tried to get the old Serena back, but she soon learned it was useless. The old Serena seemed to disappear with Ash on that day 13 months ago.

Serena looked at the clock. It was 9:07. She was going to be late for work in 8 minutes.

"Well, no point in rushing now." she said, grabbing her towel and toothbrush. "If I'm gonna be late, might as well be late and clean."

...

 _30 minutes later..._

 _..._

Serena entered the library. Just one whiff of the building's annoying lavender-scented air freshener made her sick. Ignoring the glances from her co-workers, Serena walked to the main desk, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs behind it. All her co-workers watched her out of the corners of their eyes, all of them far too afraid to say anything to her. Serena was usually brooding and unfriendly, but this time, she seemed even more threatening than usual.

Noticing their eyes on her, Serena glared at them.

"What do you guys want?" she asked, eyes narrow.

At first none of them answered, having gained a sudden interest in their cellphones and/or shoes. But then, one of them stepped forward. He was a guy, tall and lanky. He had black hair, and gray eyes, and pale skin that was pink at his cheeks. Serena liked him the least out of her co-workers, because somehow, he had a crush on her. It was probably the second thing she hated the most about her job. She didn't hate the fact that he liked her, she hated how he acted about it. It was awfully similar to the way she did when she first started traveling with Ash, which wasn't something she liked thinking about.

After a few nervous chuckles, Calem finally answered Serena's question.

"Well, um, you're a little late, Serena." observed Calem nervously.

"Yes, I am."

Uhh... well, uh, the boss didn't notice yet... so you're not in trouble or anything. You're in charge of re-shelfing the returned books today, so you should probably start now... If the boss sees that none of the books are back on the shelves yet he'll know you came in late and-"

"Where are the books?" asked Serena, growing tired of Calem's voice.

Calem pointed to the stack of books piled into a nearby basket.

"Thanks." said Serena, walking to towards the books.

She picked up half the stack, placed it on a small table-cart, and then did the same with the second half. She then grabbed the cart's handle and pulled it, leading it into the labyrinth of bookshelves that was the library. The first book was called _Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian. _ She'd seen that book be rented out a couple times, so she already knew to put it in the children's fiction section. The next was a copy of _Fifty Shades of Grey_ ; definitely not children's fiction. She placed it in the adult fiction section. She continued to return all the books, knowing where they belonged solely by their titles. But halfway down the pile, she picked up a book she was unfamiliar with. It was blue, and on the cover, written in black Times New Roman font, was a title that caused her eyes to narrow slightly.

 _Aura Guardians: A Complete History. _

"I've never... seen this book before." muttered Serena, sliding her hand over the cover.

Serena had by no means memorized the selection of books in the library, but due to her being assigned to re-shelf books often, her mind had a general archive of the books people usually rented. Not only had this book not been rented in the 3 months she had worked in the library, she had never even seen this book or even skimmed past it when putting another book away.

 _"Well, it's a big library... It's not like I know every book there is to know..."_ she thought, opening the book. _"Since I don't know what it's about, I have to look on the inside cover to see what genre it is..."_

Serena's body went stiff as she laid her eyes upon the first page of the book. While the inside cover contained the information she was looking for, the page opposite of the cover contained a detailed illustration. It was the illustration that shook Serena to the core. It was of a figure in a tattered cloak and hood, holding a staff in one hand, and what looked like fire in another. Just one look at the figure's hood was enough to give Serena a terrible flashback to the man that had taken Ash. She still remembered how that man, Tobias, had looked that day; his attire was not too different from the image Serena was looking at.

 _"This..."_

Before turning the page, Serena looked to her left and right, making sure she was alone. She turned the page, revealing multiple paragraphs of black text. The words weren't too small, and the book itself was relatively small, only about 200 pages; easily readable. Serena placed the book on a different shelf of the cart, separating it from the rest that needed to be put back. In what was definitely record time, Serena placed all the other books back on their proper shelves, and when she was done, she pulled the cart deep into the library, as far as she could go.

 _"There's no way I'm putting this book back without reading some of it..."_ she thought, taking a seat on the cart. It wasn't really meant for being sat on, but luckily she was light enough not to break it. She opened the book, faltering once again at the sight of the illustration on the first page. She took a deep breath before turning the page. But alas, she hesitated. If she, someone who barely did her job well enough as is, was caught reading a book instead of working, she'd probably get fired. She shrugged off the worry and turned the page. _"It's not like I enjoy working here anyway... Besides, this is too important to me. Maybe this book will give me some answers about what happened to you... Ash..."_

And with that, she began to read. The first few pages were terribly boring, the unnamed author of the book choosing to spend them going on and on about a rotten world that was in desperate need of saviors. And then finally, something of substance came up; Aura Guardians. This is where Serena stopped skimming and began to read each and every word, looking for an explanation on what exactly they were.

"Protectors of Peace and Guardians of Arceus... They were bestowed with the power to control the essence of life itself..." she whispered, unintentionally reading aloud. Realizing that talking would lead to someone finding her, Serena closed her mouth. _"Hm, that must've been what Tobias was using against us... but... how could Tobias be an Aura Guardian? It says here that they're protectors of peace with pure, righteous hearts... doesn't really sound like Tobias..."_

Serena read on, and soon she learned of the great war between the Aura Guardians and Dark Guardians, the one which left only 5 Aura Guardians alive. Once again, she found herself pausing to think. The clans that had survived were the Arlon, Gen, Hylus _-_

 _"Maple and Ketchum?"_ thought Serena, mouth slowly opening. _"That's Ash's last name... and Ketchum isn't a common last name either... That would mean that Ash was an Aura Guardian... or at least the descendant of one. But that just confuses me even more. If Ash were to have the power to control Aura, why would another Aura Guardian kill him? And Maple... that was that May girl's last name. Yeah, it's a fairly common last name, but the way she acted before Tobias appeared that day makes me think she's part of all this too..."_

As she continued to read through the pages of the book, Serena began to piece together a theory on what could have happened that day 13 months ago. Of course, since it was just a theory, she had no idea whether it was true or not. But, if the things written in the book were actually true, her theory sounded very realistic. She had read about the sealing away of Master Brecht. The book claimed his seal was watched over by the souls of fallen Aura Guardians. These souls lived in the Corridors of the Aura, a massive temple which Arceus transported to another dimension. The seal was to be kept for 10,000 years... and according to the book, the war took place several thousand years ago. When the seal broke loose, a Chosen Guardian would rise and defeat Master Brecht once and for all...

 _"If Tobias truly was an Aura Guardian... then the reason he killed Ash would be to... take him to the Corridors of the Aura? No, that wouldn't make sense... Tobias is alive, right? Or... is he a dead Guardian? If he was a dead one, how would he have been able to set foot on Earth? But if he was alive, then there would not have been a need for him to kill Ash. he could've just taken Ash somewhere else to train him. Ugh, this is confusing... Wait... screw Tobias, if Ash was so important to him, could it be that Ash is the one that's supposed to defeat Master Brecht? It would make sense... that would make a lot of sense. Ash would definitely be Chosen One material. He'd been on loads of adventures, saved many people, he was brave, handsome, supportive, kind... all that good stuff. So, if the things in this book are true, then that would mean..."_

Serena closed the book and stared straight ahead.

"Ash is still alive... somewhere." she said aloud.

The more her mind made sense of it, the more Serena felt a sudden build-up in her soul. It all made sense. When Tobias had taken Ash's body, she even remembered the Aura Guardian claiming that she'd be thankful for his actions one day. The only reason she'd be thankful were if Ash were to return one day and do something great. To the 18 year-old, it was undeniable; Ash Ketchum wasn't gone. He was somewhere, she mused. Perhaps not on Earth, but somewhere.

Serena looked down at the closed book, but stopped when she realized that there were drops of clear liquid on the cover. They were her own tears. She then proceeded to hug the book, far too happy to care about whether it was a weird action or not.

"He's alive, somewhere." she murmured, wiping the tears off her face. "I can't believe it... I never would have found out if it wasn't for this book... I wonder who rented it..."

"SERENA YVONNE TO THE FRONT DESK."

Serena frowned, the sound of her boss's voice on the P.A. system reaching her ears loud and clear. He didn't sound happy, though he never really seemed to like her in the first place. It was a mutual understanding between the two of them that Serena was only hired out of the library's desperation for workers. But even though he never sounded happy when talking to or about her, Serena could tell that he was in an especially bad mood.

"Here we go..." she grumbled, standing up.

She began to walk towards the front desk, but quickly stopped to turn back and take _Aura Guardians: A Complete History_ with her. She didn't feel like parting with the book just yet. There was no way her quick reading of it could have told her all she needed to know.

 _"Maybe if I read the entire thing I'll learn even more about what's going on..."_ thought Serena, book in hand. A rare smile appeared on her face as she made her way to the front desk, her mind already conjuring up multiple scenarios about the idea of reuniting with Ash, the only boy she had ever fallen in love with. Unfortunately, her smile quickly faded when her eyes met the hard glare of her boss. Before the man could even speak, Serena put her hand up. "I'm fired, aren't I?"

The manager, Mr. Stevens, was not surprised by Serena's correct guess.

"Yes, you are." he said roughly. "You thought I couldn't see you slacking off? Well I saw it, because news flash, the library has a camera system. You've been pushing my patience ever since you got this job, Serena. Enough is enough. Do us all a favor and never come back, alright?"

"Yeah cool whatever." said Serena, walking past Mr. Stevens to Calem, who was nervously watching the unfolding scene from behind the front desk. Serena ignored Calem's worried look and placed the book in her hands on the desk, confusing the black-haired teen. "You're in charge of renting out the books today, right?"

"Y-yeah..." answered Calem, blushing from the intensity of Serena's stare. For once, there was no scorn or hostility in her eyes. Only an unusual, and frankly, unsettling sense of neutrality. "Wh-why do you ask?"

"What are you doing, Serena? I want you out of my library _now_ , not later!" growled Mr. Stevens. "Ugh, this is the problem with you! You never listen when people talk to you!"

Serena ignored Mr. Stevens and continued looking at Calem.

"I'd like to rent this book out." she said simply, pulling a library card out of her pocket.

She slid it across the desk, the piece of plastic coming to a perfect halt in front of Calem. Calem picked up the card and looked at Serena and then back down at the book. He then looked at Mr. Stevens, who was shaking his head, silently telling the teen not to rent the book out. But since Serena was now a customer and not an employee, Calem went through with giving Serena the book. It was the library's policy to serve all customers as long as they hadn't done anything bad. Serena had done bad things as an employee, but her record as a customer was spotless.

"Thank you." said Serena, picking up the book.

"You're welcome..." said Calem sheepishly, doing his best to avoid the death-glare he was receiving from Mr. Stevens.

Before walking out of the library, Serena removed her name tag and handed it to Mr. Stevens, truly finalizing the fact that she was fired.

"Just so you all know, I was totally going to quit anyway. Mr. Jacobs just beat me to it." she announced.

"Mr. _Stevens_! It's Mr. Stevens!" growled Mr. Stevens, watching as the honey-blonde 18 year-old strutted away.

Unemployed but feeling the best she had in a long time, Serena proudly walked through the double doors of the building, blue book in hands. Her house was a decently long walk away, giving her plenty of time to read the book as she made her way home. She immediately opened it and began reading, choosing to start over from the beginning and actually read the entire thing instead of skimming through parts. In the few seconds she had started reading, she had become so absorbed in reading the words that may or may not have been connected to Ash that she didn't even notice the unusual figure she had just walked past.

Sitting on a bench not too far from the library was a hooded man. Had Serena actually noticed the man, she would have easily been able to tell that he was not the Average Joe enjoying a nice day on a bench. His clothes were practically screaming the words "I'm probably dangerous". He wore a black, double-breasted silver-buttoned trench coat that extended all the way down to his knees. The buttons on said coat were buttoned securely from the waist up, but were unbuttoned from the waist down in order to allow easier movement. Connected to the man's trench coat was a black hood, and around the man's waist, separating the buttoned half of the coat from the unbuttoned half, was a simple silver sash that functioned as a belt of sorts. Under the man's coat was a pair of baggy black pants that were tucked into a pair of black knee-high combat boots. His hands were covered by white leather gloves, making them stand out greatly from his black outfit. But what really stood out the most was his head. Even though most of his face was concealed by the shadow of his hood, the man still wore a mask which hid the rest. The mask was simple, just a smooth brick-red colored surface with two slits for his eyes... his eyes that were currently watching Serena walk down the street.

Once Serena was out of sight, the man nodded to himself before vanishing completely, leaving behind a bench with absolutely no one on it.

* * *

Having decided to wait a little bit before heading home, Serena decided to go to the local park to continue her reading. After reading the entire book, Serena was sure, without any shadow of a doubt, that Ash Ketchum was still alive. But that's not all that she came to realize. She was able to put together that no matter where Ash was training, his body still had to be on Earth, even if he was training in the Corridors of the Aura. According to the book, the only way to get to the Corridors was as a soul, which meant that Ash's body was still somewhere on Earth. She assumed it would be alive as well, since killing Ash would have trapped his soul in the Corridors, which would stop him from being able to come back and save the world.

After realizing all of this, she had desperately searched the book for any clues as to where Ash's body could be. But she hadn't found the slightest hint whatsoever, and after nearly 2 hours of searching, she finally decided to close the book and head home. It was great, she mused. Ash wasn't dead. He was out there. The first person she was going to tell was definitely her mother. She figured her mom would be ecstatic. Her mother always cared for her feelings almost as much as she did her own, the exception being the period in which she desperately tried to push Rhyhorn Racing on Serena.

 _"Once I explain to her that he isn't dead, then she'll definitely let me go find him once I figure out exactly where he is. I didn't find anything in the book, but I'm sure there's other books out there that could give me some hints. I don't know how long Ash will be training. I can't wait for him to come back, can I? When he returns - if that's even in my lifetime - he'll be focused on saving the world. If I find him... then we can be together. There's no way my mom is gonna turn me down... It's not like I don't know how to take care of myself. I've traveled before. It won't be much different than going on a journey through a region."_

As Serena thought these thoughts, her house became visible in the distance. She picked up the pace a bit, eager to tell her mom what she had spent all day doing. Of course, that also meant that she had to tell her mother about her new spot on the unemployment line, but that wasn't that big of a deal, right?

Once she reached her front porch, Serena pulled out her house keys, opening the door. She stepped inside, her ears immediately hearing the sound of Grace talking. Serena looked at a nearby clock; 1:13 pm. Her shifts at the library always ended at 3:00, so usually, she wasn't home around this time. She considered the possibility that her mother had someone over, but dismissed this conclusion when she realized that the only voice heard was her mother's and only her mother's. This meant that Grace was either on the phone or talking to herself.

As she headed towards the kitchen, the source of the sound, Serena remained silent. She didn't like the idea of eavesdropping on her own mother, but there was something about the seriousness in Grace's voice that made the honey-blonde quite curious as to what was going on. In order to get to the kitchen, Serena had to go through the living room. Once in the living room, Serena stopped walking, decided she was close enough to the kitchen to hear her mother's words clearly.

"But Delia, it's been over a year now..."

Serena froze. Delia, if she remembered correctly, was the name of Ash's mom. Perhaps there was a chance that it could have been a different Delia, but Serena had never heard her mother mention having a friend named Delia. Even more interested than she was before, Serena continued to listen in.

"You can't tell me this is normal... I'm her mother, you know I'm the last person in the world who'd want to say this... You're Ash's mom. He came from you, you raised him, and watched him grow as a young man, and even you have more or less returned to normal life. Serena's still nothing like the way she was before... that's not normal."

Serena frowned.

"Of course I know she loved him. But so did you and all his other friends. Tell me, are any of his other friends still struggling? Have any of his other friends given up on life altogether like Serena has? I doubt-... What?... Oh, that's... that's terrible. Is she okay? No one knows where she is? Oh my Arceus... that's awful. I hope someone finds her. Her family must be so worried... Okay, after hearing that, I realize that Serena could be much worse. But that doesn't mean I should just ignore what's going on with her. I don't think what's happened to her is normal. I'm going to book an appointment for a psychiatrist... I don't think that's extreme. I just want my real daughter back... the girl living with me right now isn't Serena..."

Having decided she'd heard enough, Serena chose to stop listening. What she heard definitely came as a shock, yet at the same time she wasn't too surprised. She had already known that her mother was worried about her, but had no idea that Grace was planning on getting her psychoanalyzed. All of a sudden, telling her about Ash didn't seem like a good idea.

 _"What, does she think I'm crazy or something? That I was obsessed with Ash?"_ thought Serena, grumpily turning towards the staircase. _"I can't believe her... that's just ridiculous. Everyone deals with the death of a loved one differently; some people mourn longer than others, and some people change. There's nothing wrong with me now, and there never has been. I can't believe she wants me to see a psychiatrist! Now, if I tell her anything about Ash, it'll just make her even more certain that I've got some screws loose, no matter how solid the evidence I show her is... I guess I'll have to look into things without Mom knowing. Great."  
_

Serena silently walked up the stairs, deciding to keep her presence in the house hidden from Grace. Once in her room, she was sure to carefully close her door, locking it immediately after. She took a seat on her bed and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Since the only computer in her house was downstairs, her phone was her only connection to the internet at the moment. Once the multi-colored word "Google" appeared on her screen, her fingers began to tap across the screen rapidly, causing letters to appear in the search box. She didn't know what exactly to search yet, so she kept things broad.

"Aura Guardians..."

 _..._

 _1 week later..._

 _..._

"... and that's when I was like, 'That's not a Registeel, that's my _refrigerator_!'"

"AHAHAHHAHAHHA!" laughed Grace, hunching over in her recliner chair. Her favorite comedian, Dick Sniffenshitz, was doing live stand-up, and she was loving it. After her fit of laughter, she turned to the only other person present in the living room. "Isn't this guy just great, Serena?"

Serena was not amused. In fact, she wasn't paying attention at all. She had been staring off into space for a while now, completely ignoring both her mother and Mr. Sniffenshitz. But it seemed like her mother speaking directly to her caused the teen to snap out of her trance. She turned her head towards Grace, faking a yawn as she did.

"Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight?" asked Grace, eyebrow raised. "It's only 7:20. You can't possibly be tired already...?"

"I am." lied Serena, standing up. "I'm going to bed... Goodnight."

"Okay... Goodnight." said Grace, deciding it to just drop it.

In her opinion, she was lucky enough to get Serena to sit with her in the living room at all. Her behavior in the past week was definitely different; she seemed less hostile to everything, and she had begun to smile a little more. The only problem was that her smile would vanish whenever Grace walked into the room. Of course, Grace had no idea why, nor did she have any idea why Serena seemed to be reading more and more books and encyclopedias lately. It all seemed so confusing to Grace, each day just adding a new puzzle to the enigma that was her own daughter.

"I'll see you tomorrow." finished Grace, seeming to have lost the energy she had been so full of just a few seconds ago.

"...Yeah." answered Serena, walking up the stairs.

...

 _Later that night..._

 _..._

A small alarm clock rang 3:00am. A pair of blue eyes immediately opened. The owner of these eyes quickly sat up, slowly looking around the room. The moon's lighting was perfect; she could see. She silently slid out of bed, grabbed a nearby backpack, and opened her closet. In the corner of the closet was a set of items that she had grouped together throughout the past week. She proceeded to neatly (and quietly) stuff them in her bag.

 _"This is it. I've done all the research I can."_

The cold breeze of the night swished the leaves of Vaniville Town around and about, setting a mood that definitely matched the event that was transpiring. The breeze flowed into an open window, gently swaying the long hair of perhaps the only person in the whole town that was awake at such an odd hour of the night. She had spent all her time in the past week gathering all the knowledge she could, and in just 7 days, she had become more or less an expert on all things having to do with Aura and those who defend it... All things except the location of a certain raven-haired trainer. But despite her lack of info, she had a plan of action, so she wasn't too worried.

 _"Reading articles and old stories can only take me so far..."_

She had kept her loss of her job a secret from her mother. Instead, she had left the house everyday at her work hours and returned when her shifts usually ended. Instead of going to the library, she'd sit in the park, continuing her research. She had yet to hear from her mother in regards to the secret visit to the psychiatrist, but that didn't matter anymore. She began to take off her pajamas, swapping them for a set of clothes more suited for the upcoming journey.

 _"If I truly want to find you, Ash..."_

She was still very torn on whether this was a good idea or not, part of her telling her to stop, while another part pushed her onward. She opened her backpack, taking one last look at what she had packed: 3 tubes of toothpaste, a toothbrush, rope, a change of clothes, tissues, knives, and _Aura Guardians: A Complete History._ She had purposely chosen not to pack electronics such as her Pokedex and cell phone, as she could easily end up being tracked and eventually found if she carried those items with her. The only electronics she needed were three half-red, half-white spheres. She grabbed the items and placed them in her bag. Braixen, Pancham, and Eevee were the only ones to accompany her on this mission.

 _"Then I have to make some efforts of my own..."_

Taking one last look at her room, Serena nodded. She was ready now, and there was no turning back. She wasn't sure how long she'd be gone, but she figured it wouldn't be too long, maybe 6-12 months. Then again, she didn't care how long it took. Long ago, Ash had taught her to never give up til it's over. For the longest time, she had thought it was over. But now that she knew otherwise, she wasn't about to continue to act like it was still over. If her mother found out about what she was about to do, then she'd definitely have reason to think her daughter wasn't mentally sound. Anyone would think that, and that was because no one knew how important this mission was to the 18-year old.

She slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked towards her open window. The cool breeze of the night brushed against her face, giving her the final bit of resolve she needed.

"I'll find you, Ash." she whispered, climbing out the window. "I swear, I will."

* * *

"Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _... where are you?"

"Oh, uh, don't worry about it. Personal errand. I'm fine."

"Well, sorry to interrupt, but we have some developing news that we think you'd want to know, Commander."

"Lay it on me."

Sitting on the roof of one of the many houses in Vaniville Town was the same masked man that Serena had walked past on the day she lost her job. He seemed relatively relaxed as his subordinate spoke to him on the phone, updating him on recent developments. As his subordinate spoke to him, his eyes followed a lone female figure walking through the town, her honey-blonde hair swaying in the breeze. He slowly nodded his head, seeming to be content with this sight.

"Did you hear what I said, Commander?"

"I'm sorry, what Dr. Feinberg?" asked the mysterious man. "I wasn't paying attention."

"I said that we've just received readings on the usage of Aura, sir. The readings suggest that this is the user's first time using it... I do not believe actions need to be made just yet, but I suggest we keep an eye on the user so we can eliminate them if they begin to gain more power."

"Where are the readings from?"

"Petalburg, Hoenn, sir."

* * *

 **That's that. Well, it's pretty obvious the next chapter's gonna focus on May, since this one was on Serena. I'm hoping I'll be able to introduce Nate and Rosa in the next chapter, if not, the one after. They're coming though.  
**

 **Who is this masked "Commander"?**

 **Will Serena find Ash, or will she succumb to the harsh law of the wild?**

 **Just how strong will Ash become?!**

 **Find out on the next wonderfultastic installment of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura!**

 **Adios,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all. So yes, I am back. This chapter took forever and a day to write, and different parts were written at different times over the past few months. I hope it came out smoothly, but part of me is afraid it didn't. Anyway, this chapter was supposed to focus on May, but instead I've decided to focus it on another major character instead. I want to give most of the main characters some development before Ash returns from his training, which, at the pace this is going so far, should be Chapter 6. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and if you don't... I'll use the good old "I'm a little rusty" excuse.  
**

 **Q &A...**

NitrousWolf

Have you given up on this? It was going amazing

 **Answer: Never.**

HarryKetchum

How many chapters is the training going to be?

 **Answer: The training won't actually be shown. Ash will return around**

AmericanBoy2016

Also Will you be having chapters focused on the rest of Ash's friends after his disappearance? Anyways were is Divinus I'm waiting for it.

 **Answer: Sort of. This chapter and the next focus on the main characters of this story excluding Ash. And as for Divinus... be sure to read the A/N at the end.**

supermario642

Where would I go to vote on the poll good sir?

 **Answer: On a desktop computer, tablet, or laptop, it is on the top of my profile. You cant vote on cellphones.**

Bulbreon chapter 3

Q: Will we see Brock and/or Misty during the entirety or this story?

 **Answer: Unfortunately, no.**

Guest

If this ends up being Advanceshipping, will you have Manaphy enter the picture?

 **Answer: No... sorry.**

 **Alright... enjoy chapter 4 I guess.**

 **DISCLAIMER: Shit man I don't own pokemon whatever.**

* * *

 **IV**

* * *

It had all happened so fast. Even worse, it seemed like his vision had faded to white right when it happened, only to return right after the damage was done. Sure, he may have been in a police station cell at the moment, but he in no way, shape, or form regretted the actions that landed him in his current predicament. If he had been in the same situation a thousand times he was absolutely sure he'd be arrested every time. But there was one thing he sure as hell wasn't absolutely sure about;

And that was what to do with the flames of blue energy dancing across the palm of his right hand.

He stared at the Aura a little longer before balling his hand into a fist, dismissing it. Just summoning it for 4 seconds was enough to deepen his breaths, a faint fatigue overcoming him.

 _"This can't be real..."_ he thought, running a hand through his dark hair. _"This just can't be real..."_

As he buried his head in his hands, Max Maple's thoughts traveled back to what had happened earlier in the day, particularly the events leading up to his current incarceration...

...

 _2 hours earlier..._

 _..._

It had been over a year since Ash Ketchum, one of Max's true idols, had died. A lot had changed since then, especially for Max. Of course, he mourned and grieved with the rest of Ash's companions. Of course, he went back home after all was said and done. And of course, his life had slowly returned to some sense of normalcy in the past months... except for one major detail.

May.

Deep down, the Maple family knew they should have seen it coming. Unknown to anyone but Max, Caroline, and Norman, the brunette was already suffering issues of her own before Ash's death. On the night before that fateful day, Max had indeed listened in on May's conversation with Ash. He was quite surprised when she didn't give Ash, one of the people she trusted the most, the full story regarding her break from Coordinating, the one she took after getting Top 4 in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. She had told Ash that she wanted to get away from it all for a while, and when she returned to the Coordinating scene, she performed poorly. In Max's opinion, that was a criminally simplified version of the true story. The truth was that a lot more happened after that Sinnoh Grand Festival, and the effects of these happenings left May dependent on a medication prescribed by a psychiatrist.

But it seemed like what happened to Ash rendered the pills useless.

She was gone, for lack of a better term. In Max's opinion, no one seemed more broken than May had after Ash's sudden demise. It shattered her world, but Max, along with their parents, thought she'd eventually pull through like everyone else had. Unfortunately, that was nowhere near close to the case. Following Ash's passing, May's life fell into a downward spiral, one which Max tried his hardest to stop. Alas, his efforts were fruitless. His sister had become a different person, a person that her previous self would have hated. She made bad choices, and had little to no care about the ramifications. She stopped caring about herself both physically and emotionally, becoming a shell of the girl she was before. But most of all, she gave up Coordinating... for good.

Max tried to get May's life back on track for her, but not only was she emotionally destroyed, she was difficult to deal with. She seemed to give off the impression that she didn't want help, insisting that she could handle herself. That clearly wasn't the case, and Max had tried to get that across to her countless times. But she stood firm in her beliefs, defiantly choosing to stray even further down the wrong paths.

Even when their parents had reluctantly given up on their first-born child, Max hadn't lost hope. He held on tight to the belief that one day May would be happy again. But even he began to lose hope on the day that she disappeared. She had literally vanished, taking none of her belongings with her. While their parents forlornly dismissed it as just another one of her irresponsible antics, Max suspected something worse was afoot. His hunch was proven correct when she never returned. The police were called, and search parties were sent, but the brunette was never found.

4 months had passed since then. After a few weeks, Max had lost almost all hope that he'd ever see his sister again. Unless she had found some sort of shelter (which wasn't impossible), there was no way she could have survived for that long on the streets. His brain led him to believe she was dead, but his heart desperately tried to convince him otherwise. Despite the inner conflict that haunted him daily, Max had chosen to get on with his life, resuming his career as a Pokemon Trainer after many months of hiatus.

He was in his hometown of Petalburg on the night of his arrest. He had come home to visit his parents, deciding that some relaxation at home was exactly what he needed before the upcoming Hoenn League Conference, which he had won enough badges to gain entrance into. Max had made it home rather late, between the hours of 2 and 3am. His parents had waited for him, having prepared a large surprise dinner in anticipation of his arrival. Unfortunately, when Max arrived, it dawned on them that they had forgotten to buy any juice. Max dismissed this, claiming it was no big deal and that a glass of tap water would be fine. Unconvinced, Caroline insisted that a nice beverage was needed to fully enjoy the meal. After a few minutes of continuous nagging, Max reluctantly agreed to go get some juice at the 24-hour Petalburg supermarket, just a few blocks away from the Maple household.

His fate was sealed as soon as he entered the building.

The 15-year old trainer walked up and down the aisles, grabbing each drink that his mother had put on the list. It was quite the boring task, and after a few minutes, Max found his attention refocusing on something a little more interesting; a conversation being had in the next aisle. From what Max could hear, it was between 3 teenage boys, and judging by their voices, they were either his own age or a little older. At first they were talking about their girlfriends; a subject that Max couldn't really relate to, since he'd been single for a healthy 15 years. But soon, the subject of the boys' talk changed. They began talking about celebrities that they thought were "hot". And then from there, they discussed celebrities that they'd "bang".

 _"Alright, I think I've had my fill."_ thought Max, rolling his eyes.

He wasn't going to pretend like he didn't fantasize about beautiful women; lots of boys his age did. But he viewed those thoughts as things that people should keep to themselves, not things to be spoken about in the middle of a public facility. Right as Max began to push his cart forward, a certain line from one of the boys caught his attention, and he stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he heard it.

"Okay guys, I guess this next one wasn't a celebrity, but she was definitely no commoner. Freaking May Maple, the Coordinator. I'd have tapped that up and down the block."

Max's eyes narrowed.

"I totally agree, bro." answered one of the other guys. "Those d-cup tits of hers? A1. She had an okay ass too. Not astounding, but she had some stuff to work with."

"Yeah, she was a babe alright. A body like that didn't happen on accident. Her mom's gotta be a MILF."

At this point, Max wasn't sure whether he was more disgusted or enraged. His hands gripped the handle of his cart so hard his knuckles turned a pale white, and his eyebrows began to twitch. Nonetheless, he continued his walk down the aisle, deciding to leave before he heard any more. The urge to confront the bastards that dared to objectify his possibly dead sister was definitely present, but he knew how to pick his battles. As much as he hated to admit it, 3 on 1 wasn't a good match-up, especially for someone of his stature.

 _"They're not worth it anyway..."_ he thought, though he knew deep down that they totally were.

"Though actually, now that I think of it... I don't think I'd have given her the D during the days before her disappearance. Word is that some guy died and she went nuts. Sounds like damaged goods if you ask me."

"Yeah, I think I do remember hearing that she turned into some crazy alcoholic. Total Lindsay Lohan syndrome, right?"

"Hey now... let's look on the bright side, fellas." answered the third guy sleazily. "Sounds to me like she'd be into some real kinky shit, if you know what I mea-"

 _*crash*_

The third guy never finished his sentence, as a glass bottle was promptly smashed onto the back of his head with an ungodly amount of force. The dark red liquid within cascaded all over the teen's white shirt, creating stains that even the most formidable of washing machines would have trouble removing. The other two boys' gazes shifted to the their friend's attacker, wondering what kind of hooligan had the audacity to attack him. They were surprised to see a 5'8", scrawny, glasses-wearing teenager with a broken wine bottle in hand standing behind their friend. His face was beet red, and his brown eyes were wide open, staring down the teens with unfathomable rage in his eyes.

The victim of Max's attack turned around, eyes wide.

"What the hell is your deal?!" he roared, looking down at his ruined shirt. "This is a fucking Polo shirt! _Ralph Lauren_! You ruined it! You think these stains'll come out? Not even the most formidable of washing machines coul-"

Max grabbed the taller teen by the shirt, pulling him down to eye level.

"If you ever speak about my family like that again... believe me, it won't just be wine staining that shirt." he threatened. "You have no right to speak about May Maple like that. You didn't know her, and you didn't know what she went through."

"Family, huh? Ah, you must be her brother then." deduced the teen, who was still being held by Max. He then looked Max dead in the eye before continuing. "Heh, your sister was a drunk, dirty, disgusting failure."

"Shut up!" shouted Max, catching the attention of the few workers in the market.

"I'm just calling it like it is." said the teen, not backing down. "There's no excuse for becoming the type of person she did. She was one of the best Coordinators around, and she goes crazy because of some guy? Sounds pretty damn weak if you ask me."

"SHUT UP!" roared Max, rearing his fist back.

The teen smirked. "I dare you to do it. You won't. I bet you won't. You don't have the balls to punch me."

The teen placed his bets in the wrong prediction, because Max most certainly had the balls to punch him. His fist clashed with the teen's nose, and it didn't take a doctor to tell that it was broken. As soon as Max punched the first teen, the other two promptly pounced on him, planning to avenge their fallen friend. Anticipating their actions, Max let go of the first teen, who, as Max had threatened, was now dealing with the stains of both wine _and_ blood on his Polo. But, unfortunately, seeing an attack coming was not the same as being prepared for it. Max quickly found himself being overpowered by the two taller teens. As they clawed and swung at him, he could feel his back come into contact with the shelves of the aisle. Things had quickly taken a turn for the worse.

"Yeah that's right, fuck him up Stuart! No mercy, Reginald!" ordered the first teen, clutching his broken nose.

"You got it, Benjamin!" replied Reginald, kneeing Max in the stomach. "This is what you get when you mess with us, kid!"

"Uh, yeah! You're gonna pay!" added Stuart lamely, elbow dropping Max.

It was around this time that the few workers that occupied the market began to hear all the ruckus. From what they could hear, someone was being beat up, and it didn't sound like it was in a fair fight either. From several different parts of the store, the cashiers and custodians rushed towards the source of the noise, preparing to break up a fight.

But their help wasn't needed.

Beaten and bruised, Max was on the floor, having been completely overpowered. The two teens standing above him continued to taunt and ridicule the young trainer, occasionally adding some kicks and stomps for good measure. With each hit and insult, Max's anger and despair grew. It was bad enough that he couldn't stop his sister's downward spiral, but now here he was, unable to even defend her honor as a human being. The bastards beating down on him were the ones in the wrong, weren't they? Were they not the ones who objectified a girl who's been through it all, speaking of her as nothing more than a "babe"? And then they dared to judge her actions when they didn't know a single thing about her? It just didn't seem fair.

 _"They should be the ones... on the floor..."_ thought Max, gritting his teeth. A strange feeling was beginning to brew inside him. It almost felt like an adrenaline rush... but even more powerful, if possible. _"Not... me!"_

And that's when Max's vision faded to white for a couple seconds. During this time, he could definitely feel his body moving, but they didn't feel like normal movements. He felt fast but slow. He felt powerful but weak. It was like he was in a dream-like state, a strange feeling surging through his body. He felt something make contact with his hand, and shortly after, he felt the same sensation again. It was after the second contact that the whiteness clouding his vision began to die down into a royal blue, and from the blue, his vision faded back to normal.

"Uhhh... wha?" groaned Max, feeling quite light-headed.

He looked around, and was shocked at what he saw. The two teens who had just been stomping him were unconscious on the floor, crimson streams of blood trickling from their broken noses and busted lips. The first teen, Benjamin, was staring at Max with a look of complete horror on his face. That satisfied Max. Max then looked to both his sides, and saw employees staring at him. From the look in their eyes he could tell that they had the wrong ideas. That worried Max. And then Max looked at his own hands, which had been tingling ever since his vision returned. As he looked at them, tiny sparkles of blue energy evaporated away. That confused Max.

 _"What in the worl-"_

"Somebody call the police! Quick!" shouted an employee.

"I'll hold him down!" called another one, rushing towards Max.

But before Max could even open his mouth to explain the situation, he felt his consciousness slip away, his vision fading to yet another color: black.

 _2 hours later..._

 _..._

And that was all Max could clearly remember. As previously stated, he didn't regret his actions at all. He just had little to no idea what to do with himself now. There was no denying it; he had used Aura. But how? As far as he knew, the ability to wield Aura was a rarity. He had already seen Ash use it once during their travels together, so the chance of himself being able to use it as well just seemed too slim to be reality.

" _Does this mean I'll have to become a Guardian?"_ he thought, running a hand through his hair. _"No.. Ash didn't become a Guardian. He continued to be a Pokemon Trainer. Besides... wasn't an Aura Guardian the one that killed Ash in the first place? Why would I want to join their ranks? In a way, they're responsible for May's chang-"_

Max's thoughts were cut short by the sound of his cell door unlocking. He looked up and saw a guard looking directly at him, an indifferent expression on the man's face.

"You get one phone call." said the guard, gesturing for Max to follow him.

With a sigh, Max stood up and followed the guard out the door, all the way to a small room with a telephone in it. The guard left Max in the room, but not without ordering the teen to make the call a "quick one". Max rolled his eyes at that, and waited for the guard to completely close the door before dialing the number he wanted to call. Of course he was calling his parents. They were the only ones that could get him out of the mess he had gotten himself into.

"Come on... pick up... pick up..." muttered Max, nervously toying with the phone's cord. He knew the approaching conversation would not go well, no matter what he said.

"Hello? Who is this?" asked a feminine voice, answering Max's call.

"H-hey, Mom." answered Max.

Caroline shrieked at the sound of her son's voice. "Max?! Max my dear, why aren't you calling from your cell phone? The caller ID says you're calling from the police station! What's going on?"

"I'm not using my phone because it's been confiscated... and I... got arrested. That's why I'm calling from the police station."

There was a pause.

"ARRESTED?!" cried Caroline, panic already setting in. "Max, what did you do?! Why?! Are you okay?! What happened?! See?! I knew you were too young to go out on your own! Now you've been corrupted-"

"Mom could you just pass the phone to Dad?" asked Max, unfazed by his mother's panicked banter.

"Tell me what happened first! Are you okay?! What did you do?!"

Max proceeded to explain the situation to his mother, describing everything truthfully and in perfect detail. The story came from his mouth with ease, but as he reached the end of it, his words began to slow down, as it was definitely the part his mother definitely needed to hear. Caroline remained silent during the whole story, but halfway through, Max could hear his own voice echoing from the phone, leading him to believe that his mother had put him on speaker, allowing Norman to hear as well.

"And that's what happened..." said Max quietly.

"...We're on our way." answered Norman, who had at some point received the phone from Caroline.

Norman immediately hung up the phone, leaving Max with nothing but the buzzing of a dial tone. The teen gingerly put the phone on the hook and walked out of the room, the same prison guard from earlier waiting right on the outside. Max followed the guard back to his cell, sat down, and did the only thing he _could_ do: wait for his parents. But it was a harder activity than he thought. In all the chaos, he nearly forgot how late it was. It must have been at least 4 in the morning by that point, which provided a good explanation for why his body offered little to no resistance to the rapidly increasing weight of his eyelids.

...

 _45 minutes later_..

...

"Max." sounded a voice. "Max, wake up."

Max's eyes slowly opened, the first thing he saw being the concrete floor of his cell.

"Come on, it's time to go, son." sounded the voice again.

Max groggily looked up, and saw Norman standing by the now opened cell door. Relieved to see his father, Max stood up and pulled his dad into an embrace.

"Hey Dad... I'm sorr-"

"Don't worry about it..." muttered Norman, returning his son's embrace. "I would've done the same thing... really, I would've done worse to those punks... But still, there are other things we need to worry about. We'll finish this conversation in the car."

"Alright..." agreed Max, ending the hug.

From then on, the two Maple men walked in silence. Max followed his father out of the police station, a strange feeling of dread overcoming him as they got closer and closer to their car. Finally, when both father and son were in the car, doors closed, the silence was broken. Norman looked at Max, an odd look in his eye. At first Max couldn't quite read what emotion it was, but soon he was able to deduce that it was a combination of two: worry, and seriousness.

"Max... I'm sure you have lots of questions about why you passed out..." started Norman slowly.

"Yeah, I do. How am I able to-"

"Son, listen to me." said Norman, putting a silencing hand on Max's shoulder. His grip was firm. "You have to forget it ever happened. Do not _ever_ use it again. I know, you must be curious as to how and why it happened, but you have to take my word on this one; you'll be safer if you never - and I mean it, _never_ \- use Aura again."

"But... Dad..." stammered Max, shocked by Norman's words. "You can't just tell me not to use it without giving me some kind of explanation... If you don't tell me _why_ I shouldn't... in all honesty, I'm more likely to use it some day. I want to know how I'm able to use it, and why it's so dangerous for me to use... You gotta at least tell me that."

Norman's eyes shifted to the steering wheel, the conflicted look in the making it clear he was heavily weighing his options. It was true, when people, especially teens, are told not to do something without an explanation... they usually disobeyed eventually out of sheer curiosity. But at the same time... there was a reason he didn't want Max to know.

 _"Ignorance is bliss..._ " he thought, leaning more towards standing his ground and not explaining anything. But deep down, he knew an explanation was due. Anyone would want one. _"But knowledge is power."_

"So... are you gonna explain?" asked Max.

Norman sighed before talking. "Alright... I'll explain. You have the ability to control and harness Aura because of me, Max. It runs in the Maple family's blood, because, in simple terms, our family has strong ties to the Aura."

"Really? Wow... So... does that mean you can use it too, Dad?"

Norman closed his eyes. "...No, I can't. At least not anymore."

"Anymore?"

Norman's eyebrow twitched a little, the gym leader seeming to be slightly annoyed with Max's questions. "When I was young, and by 'young' I mean around your age, I could. But due to lack of use over the past few decades, I've forgotten how to use it, and without someone to teach me how again, my ability to use it will probably be locked in my subconscious forever... which is a good thing."

"A good thing?" asked Max curiously. Clearly Norman seemed to have a strong vendetta against using Aura. But why? "But wouldn't it be useful to have Aura? You could communicate better with your pokemon, and it'd be comforting to know you have a power that could help you protect your loved ones... right?"

"We're getting to the part that I'm reluctant to tell you about, Max." said Norman, his tone darkening. He took a deep breath before continuing. "You don't think I thought of all those perks all those years ago? There's a reason I chose to forget my Aura. And it's the same reason I want you to as well: it will put your life, and by extension, the lives of your loved ones, at risk."

If the mood in the car wasn't dark and heavy already, it certainly was at that point. Norman's gaze never wavered from his son's increasingly uncomfortable one, getting across the point that he was 107% serious.

"H-how?" asked Max, eyes wide.

"There's a reason the number of Aura Guardians has declined over for the past several centuries. They're being hunted."

"H-hunted?"

"Hunted. I myself don't know much about them, but there's... a cult. A cult that has made it their mission to kill Aura users. They've been around for hundreds of years now... from what I know, they don't attack weak users, only those who fully understand the ways of the Aura and how to manipulate it. They're effective in what they do... and they show no mercy. Luckily no one in our family has recently been targeted by them... but I know people who have, and I only learned about those people _after_ their bodies were found. This is why I stopped using my Aura, and it's why I, as your father, forbid you from using it. If that cult comes after you... there's no doubt we'll lose you Max. We already lost May... your mother and I can't imagine losing you too..."

Max was silent. Norman sighed.

"See? This is why I didn't want to tell you." continued Norman. "I know this must terrify you... As bad as it sounds though, don't worry. As long as you never use it again... they won't target you. You'll be fine. Just continue going about your business, train your pokemon, and live a normal life. If you do that, everything will be fine, and there'll be no reason to be afraid. Just look at me; I haven't used my Aura in 30+ years, and I've raised a family and have a good job and a nice home. Stay normal, stay safe. Do you understand, Max?"

"..."

"Max?"

"... No, Dad... I really don't." admitted Max, a storm of thoughts rushing into his mind. "So... we're just gonna let this big bad cult kill Aura Guardians? I'm sorry, but that just doesn't make sense to me. If they're hunting Aura Guardians, which are _supposed_ to be good people that protect others, doesn't it mean that they're preparing for something big and don't want Aura Guardians stopping them? This cult... what's their goal?"

"Max," started Norman sternly. "It doesn't matter what their goal is. Just don't use your Aura."

"No, I want to know as much about this as I can, Dad, because I'm just a little confused right now. According to May, an AURA GUARDIAN was the one responsible for Ash's death. Ash had the ability to use Aura. Granted he wasn't skilled, but he knew how to use it nonetheless, and it was said his Aura was similar to Sir Aaron's, who was one of the most powerful Aura Guardians of his time. Do you see why I'm confused? Ash would definitely fill in the criteria to be attacked by this 'cult'. And it seems like, as expected, he was attacked and eliminated... except it was by an _Aura Guardian_. Wouldn't that mean the cult is composed of Aura Guardians? Why would Aura Guardians kill other Guardians? It'd make no sense at all. And even more interesting... you said the targets of the cult's bodies were found; wasn't Ash's gone without a trace? Something's not adding up, Dad. I think we can figure out whats really going on if we spoke to someone that saw what happened to Ash. I think it's about time we find May. We could really use her help right about now, and im sure that wherever she is, she could use ours."

A look of great sorrow overcame Norman's eyes. "It's no use Max... it's impossible to find your sister at this point... assuming that she's even alive. We've tried everything, and you know that."

"Well... Not _everything_."

Norman immediately understood what Max meant, and he immediately came up with a response.

"No, Max." he said sharply. He had just explained the danger in using Aura, but clearly it wasn't enough to ward his son away from using it. "No! I won't let you use your Aura to try to track her down! Don't you get it? The more you use it, the more likely you are to be killed!"

"Dad, we need to find her. If Aura runs in our family, then there's a good chance May can control it too. If she's alive, we don't want her killed by this cult you're talking about, do we? And speaking of the cult's killings, clearly there's some major details we don't know, especially surrounding Ash's death. May, Gary, and that Serena girl were the only ones in the room when that Guardian killed Ash. Gary lost consciousness halfway through, and Serena is all the way in Kalos where we have no means of contacting her, as we know little to nothing about her. But May? May was there, and she saw everything. We need a play by play of what happened in the lab that day... because something's leading me to believe that there's a lot more to what happened to Ash than what met the eye. May never told us everything that happened. Only the basics. We need the full, unabridged story if we want to deal with this properly."

"Max, I am you father, and you will listen to me. You're only 15. No matter how independent you are, you still have to listen to me. I forbid you from using your Aura. Your mother and I went through enough pain with your sister, and I refuse to put Caroline and myself through it again when there's a clear way to prevent it. This isn't the time to be heroic and solve mysteries and take down organizations. This isnt Team Rocket you're dealing with. I don't know how many times I have to say it, but this is a matter of life and death. If you continue to insist on learning how to use your Aura, then I'll have no choice but to contact the Hoenn League and withdraw you from the competition, leaving you no choice but to stay home with us. And you know I can do that."

With those last two lines, Max backed down a little. He had worked hard to obtain his gym badges, and he was looking forward to competing in the league conference. It was a dream he'd worked hard to reach, and he knew if his father went through with his threat, his efforts would have been put to waste.

Taking note of Max's short silence, Norman started the car.

"Now, let's get you home. It's pretty late, and your dinner's definitely cold by now."

"..."

"When we get home, just go to bed. I'll talk to your mother and calm her down."

"...Okay."

Norman nodded, shifted the gear into reverse, and backed out of his parking spot, beginning the short (and silent) drive home.

...

 _30 minutes later..._

 _..._

In the darkness of his bedroom, Max lay. He could hear his parents voices echo from the living room, but he didn't pay them much mind. They weren't talking about anything he really wanted to hear anyway. Besides, he was far too lost in thought to focus on anything. Since Norman had threatened to remove him from the league, he found himself caught between his work as a Trainer, and his desire for answers. The struggle between the two available paths was dreadfully close to a stalemate, with each side bringing up valid points. The side in favor of his Trainer career argued that learning how to use his Aura would be foolish, and that he should just listen to Norman. That way he'd be safe, become the Trainer he dreamed of becoming, and, like Norman said, live a normal life.

 _"Besides, these answers that I want... what if they're not worth the trouble? Maybe the cult Dad was talking about really is composed of Aura Guardians, and Ash's death just happened to be different from the rest... Maybe it's best I mind my own business..."_

And that's when the other half spoke up.

 _"No... No! What am I thinking?! With Aura... the chances of finding May have risen so much... it doesn't feel like an unrealistic dream anymore. If I become strong enough... then my pokemon and I will be able to defend ourselves from anyone that tries to attack us."  
_

It was time for the first half's rebuttal.

 _"Oh what am I talking about? What if May... isn't alive? Then I'd have created a target on my back for no reason!"  
_

The more the two choices struggled for dominance, the more stressed Max became, until finally, a breaking point was reached. Overloaded with internal conflict, the Aura within began to fluctuate, searching for a release. His eyes gained an azure glow, and for a split second, he could feel the essences of every single person and pokemon in Petalburg. The sudden rush of awareness startled the teen, taking his mind off his mental struggle for the briefest of moments. As soon as his frustration subsided, the blue glow in his eyes vanished, returning them to their natural dark brown color.

"Damn..." murmured Max, sitting up. "I didn't even know you were in here."

A shuffling sound was heard from under Max's bed. The sounds of small paws walking around sounded through the room until suddenly, Max felt something other than himself on the bed. It crawled under the blankets and burrowed its way in until it found comfort on his lap. Max placed a hand on the pokemon's head, softly petting it. It was the only one of May's pokemon left. She had released them all into the wild when she gave up Coordinating, but this one found its way back to their home. Unfortunately, by the time it did, it was too late for the poor thing; May had already disappeared.

"How've you been, Glaceon?" whispered Max.

When he felt the Auras of everyone in Petalburg, he was able to pick up the emotions of those who were in closer proximity. With Glaceon having been dwelling right under his bed the whole time, he got a crystal clear read. The Fresh Snow Pokemon was full of sadness, hurt, and most of all, a yearning to be reunited with May, which the pokemon affectionately referred to as her 'mother'. This saddened Max; the poor thing had braved the wild and made its way all the way back to Petalburg... just to learn that May wasn't there. It was a sad story for anyone to experience, let alone a pokemon.

Though in total darkness save for the faint moonlight entering through his window, Max placed his hands where he could see them if there was actually a decent light source in the room. With a deep breath, he focused all his energy and willpower into his hands, and sure enough, ripples of Aura traveled up and down his palms, casting a blue tint on his room. He could see Glaceon's head poking from under the blanket. One look into the abandoned pokemon's eyes, and Max knew what had to be done. With a slow exhale, he dismissed the Aura, closing his eyes as he did so. When he opened them again, there was a look of resolution in them.

With his decision made, he laid back down and covered himself in his blanket.

"Goodnight, Glaceon."

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

"Petalburg, huh?" answered the masked Commander, still on the rooftops of Vaniville Town. Though his eyes were still on Serena, who was nearing the outskirts of town at this point, his attention was slowly shifting towards the conversation he was having on his phone. "Were you able to pick up what clan they belong to?"

"Our sensors indicate a rather strong connection to the user's emotion, which leads us to believe they're a Maple." answered Dr. Feinberg. "Gender: Male. Age... approximately 15."

"And you said he's a weak user? Not strong enough to be a threat?" asked the Commander.

"Yes. But I suggest we keep on eye on him, so that if he gains power, we can take him out at a moment's notice."

"...Nah, that won't be necessary."

"But sir-"

"Are you questioning me, Feinberg?" asked the Commander, his tone becoming a more serious, threatening one.

"N-no sir." answered Dr. Feinburg quickly, knowing it wasn't in his best interest to say anymore. Only those who wished fates worse than death questioned the Commander. "I was just making a suggestion."

"Yeah, and it better stay a suggestion." snapped the Commander. "Now, I'll be making my way to Petalburg now to take a look at this new user myself. Most of the time I can tell whether they'll be a problem later on by just looking at them. I'll be back at HQ in about an hour or two. I'm hungry, so make sure there's some food in my chambers by the time I return."

"Is there a food you'd like in particular, my lord?"

"Yeah. A 20-piece box of Chicken McNuggets... and a Big Mac, light on the sauce." ordered the Commander, his body beginning to vanish from the feet up.

"Is that all?"

"No..." said the Commander, gripping his phone tightly. "I also want a large Slurpee from 7/11 too. And it _better_ be Blue Raspberry flavored."

"Yes, my lord, Blue Raspberry."

"Do not disappoint me, Feinberg." ordered Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ sternly, ending the call. "Now... on to more pressing matters..."

Before his legs were fully vanished, he reached into one of the larger pockets of his coat, pulling out a blue book. In the moonlight, the letters that formed the book's title shone into view: _Aura Guardians: A Complete History. _ He had already put his own plans into motion by arranging for Serena to find his first copy, and now it was time to further his plans by giving his second one to someone else.

"Looks like this Maple boy's got some studying to do..." said the Commander, a dark chuckle following his words.

He then disappeared into the breezy, moonlit night. Not leaving single trace of his presence, as well has having not been noticed by anyone in Vaniville Town, it was almost as if he was never there to begin with.

* * *

 _2 years later... [2 years til Ash's return]_

...

"Alright Pignite, finish this hullabaloo up with a Flamethrower!" shouted a brown-haired girl, her deep, sapphire eyes burning with determination.

Her pokemon nodded in compliance, building up fire in its mouth.

"Leavanny, I know you're quite hurt, but try to dodge!" called a tall, slender man with brown hair and green eyes.

The dual bug and grass type attempted to do what it's Trainer ordered, but it just wasn't possible. The SUPER super effective Flamethrower hit the creature head on, but of course, when the dust and smoke from the blast cleared up, Leavanny was simply unconscious with no more than a few minor burns.

"Phew, thank goodness pokemon miraculously survive attacks that would have a 100% mortality rate for us humans..." said the man, returning his Leavanny to it's ball. "Good job Leavanny, you battled well."

The man was more than used to these types of losses; Trainers walking in with fire-type pokemon and decimating his whole gym was just one of the things he, as a bug-type Gym Leader, had seen a seemingly infinite amount of times before. Nonetheless, it was a fair match, and the brunette that defeated him was deserving of a congratulation, no matter how large her advantage was. After strapping Leavanny's ball to his belt, the brown-haired man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small green and gold trinket shaped like a bug's wing.

"You battled well, uh, errr..." he said, seeming to have trailed off. "My deepest apologies, but I've forgotten your name young lady..."

The brunette, who had already returned her Pignite, was walking towards the man, a smile on her face.

"Rosa." she answered, adjusting her pink and white visor. "Rosa Higgins."

"Ah yes, Rosa. You battled well, Rosa. Congratulations, and for defeating me, I, Burgh, give you the Insect Badge!" said Burgh, handing Rosa her new badge.

But instead of waiting for Burgh to finish giving her the badge, Rosa met him halfway in the form of a quick swipe. An enormous grin stretched across her face, an extremely excited glint shining in her eyes.

"WOOOOHOOOOO! I GOT THE BUG BADGE, BITCHES!" she shouted, holding the badge in the air triumphantly.

Burgh's eye twitched. "First of all, it's the _Insect_ Badge. Second of all, I'd deeply appreciate it if you did not swear in my gy-"

"Put a sock in it, Brieg! I won fair and square!" ordered Rosa, turning around on a heel. "Hell yeah! Three badges down, four to go!"

"My name is Burgh, not Brieg. And you don't have four gyms left, you have fiv-"

"WHATEVER!" laughed Rosa, proudly strutting out of the gym.

Feeling on top of the world, Rosa exited the gym, her visor protecting her from the Sun's dazzling light. Winning battles gave her a rush like no other, and this rush combined with the beautiful weather made her feel nothing less than elated. She immediately looked both ways, searching for someone. But instead of spotting said person, she found herself further admiring the beauty of Castelia City. It really was a modern metropolis, sporting many skyscrapers and other tall buildings. It was definitely a place she would consider living in when she was older. She was always a fan of big cities, and with Castelia being the largest in her home region of Unova, it seemed like a logical candidat-

"How'd it go?" asked a new voice, startling Rosa.

"Wah!" shrieked Rosa, nearly jumping out of her skin.

Next to her was a girl with jet black shoulder-length hair, pale skin, and green eyes. Recognizing this girl, Rosa pouted. "Rachel! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?!"

"I didn't." replied the girl, Rachel, indifferently. "How did the gym go?"

"It went great! I knocked Brieg's socks off and got my third Unova badge!" gushed Rosa, holding the badge just a few inches from Rachel's face. "See?!"

"T_T... Congratulations." said Rachel, calmly pushing Rosa's hand away from her face.

Rosa's face once again shifted into a pout, the young beauty growing irritated with Rachel's lack of enthusiasm or care. But after nearly 2 years of traveling with her, Rosa knew there was no point in saying anything. They had met over a year prior, in the Hoenn Region. Rosa, now 15, had started her career as a Trainer at 14, and chose Hoenn as her starting region instead of Unova, as she was a huge fan of Hoenn's warmer weather. Near the end of her journey, she had found Rachel quite literally living on the streets. At first Rachel had denied help, but Rosa insisted for a full hour, and by the end, Rachel reluctantly accepted the young trainer's help. From then on, Rachel followed Rosa on her journeys. With Rachel being a solid 5 years older than Rosa, Rachel was able to provide certain experience and knowledge that Rosa didn't have when it came to traveling. It was for that reason that Rosa's parents let her continue to travel with a girl she'd just met.

There were only two problems Rosa had with Rachel. She refused to tell Rosa much about her past, no matter how many times Rosa had asked. And of course, there were also Rachel's emotional problems. Every week or so she seemed to switch between two moods. Either she'd be manic, with her energy rivaling that of Rosa's, or she'd be like how she currently was: deflated and soulless. Both versions had their negative aspects, but Rosa highly preferred manic Rachel; then at least it'd feel like she was traveling with a real person instead of a heartless shell. Luckily, manic Rachel was in control when she first met Rosa's parents through video-chat, giving them the impression of a bubbly young woman that would get along swimmingly with their daughter.

"So, where do we go now?" asked Rachel monotonously.

"Well, the next city is Nimbasa City; I'll be getting my Bolt Badge there." said Rosa, hands on her hips. "I gotta make sure I catch a ground-type so I can absolutely wreck shop when I get there. But, as for today, I think we should spend the night here in Castelia and set off for Nimbasa tomorrow morning. Sound good?"

"Sounds fine to me." agreed Rachel. "But what will we do _now_? It's only 5:28..."

"I say we walk around a bit... Castelia's supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Unova. Let's spend the evening absorbing the beauty. The weather is perfect for it too."

"Absorbing the beauty?" repeated Rachel, skeptically raising an eyebrow. "It's just a bunch of gray buildings."

"Rachel, Rachel, Rachel..." sighed Rosa, grabbing the older girl's hand. "You silly goose, you need to learn to enjoy the beauty around you. Come on, by the end of the night you'll be thanking me for this!"

...

 _5 hours later..._

 _..._

"Thank you so much, Rosa..." said Rachel, glaring daggers at Rosa. "I've always wanted to get lost in one of the largest cities in the world."

They had walked around the city for what felt like an eternity to Rachel. In the beginning hours of their stroll, Rosa had seemed lively and talkative, but as the evening progressed, the teen began to quiet down. At first Rachel wondered why, but soon it became all too obvious: they were seeing the same sites over and over again. Realizing they were lost, Rachel considered saying something, but she decided to wait til Rosa admitted it herself, just for the hell of it. Unfortunately, Rosa was far too proud to ever admit such a thing, leaving Rachel to wait for something that might never happen. However, after their 6th time walking past Rockin' Rodney's Hamburger & Wiener Shack, Rachel decided it was time to speak up.

Rosa immediately turned around to look at Rachel; something she hadn't done in quite a while during their walk. She was smiling, but it was obvious the smile was meant to mask her true emotion: sheer panic.

"Lost? _Us_? Rachel, you must be joking." she stammered, hands on her hips. "We're just... we're just enveloped in Castelia City's elaborate structure."

Rachel eyed a billboard in the distance. It displayed a family of tourists, with the caption _"Envelop yourself in Castelia City's elaborate structure!"._

"Rosa, how are we going to get back to the Pokemon Center?" asked Rachel with a sigh. "It's almost 11:00 now. The longer we're out here, the less safe we are."

"Oh what do you mean less safe?" asked Rosa dismissively, walking past Rachel.

"You know exactly what I mean." snapped Rachel, folding her arms. "We're two young girls walking the streets and alleyways of a city at the late hours of the night. And the only pokemon you have on you is Pignite. If you don't want to end up on the back of a goddamn milk carton, I suggest we put our heads together and find our way back to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible."

"Alright well _you're_ the one that's 20 years old." said Rosa, pointing at Rachel accusingly. "I'm just an inexperienced teenager unable to traverse the complex layout of the world, you can't expect me to lead this party of two forever, can ya? Take the helm, adult!"

"I was going to do that regardless." spat Rachel, turning her back to Rosa. "Now watch; this is how _adults_ deal with things."

Rosa folded her arms and pouted, deciding to wait and see what Rachel would do before she said anything. She watched as Rachel walked across the street, seeming to be heading towards two figures sitting on a bench in the distance. As she concentrated her vision, Rosa could make out some details about the figures; both were men, and both wore some sort of uniform. It was a pretty unusual get-up; black double-breasted hooded trench coats, black boots, and black pants. The hoods they wore hid the upper halves of their faces, but from their jaws alone Rosa could tell they were both middle-aged. They both sat motionless, one reading a newspaper and one staring straight ahead. For some reason, they seemed very out of place, almost as if they had been waiting for someone to come by.

In short, they scared the ever-living bejeezus out of Rosa.

"Rachel, what the heck are ya doing?" she called in a half-whisper.

Rachel turned around, silently raising an eyebrow. Clearly she didn't sense the same danger Rosa did, which was slightly ironic considering the conversation that was just had.

"Don't raise your brow like that!" retorted Rosa. "Those guys are sketchier than a goddamn sketchbook!"

Rachel ignored Rosa's words and continued to approach the men.

"Excuse me, do you know where this city's gym is?" asked Rachel calmly.

"Go down Hickory Ave, make a left at Stone Street, stay on there for a while until you make another left at Vineyard Street. The gym'll be on your right." answered the man reading the newspaper, not even looking up at Rachel.

"Thank you." said Rachel, turning around. She made her way back to Rosa, who watched the short interaction with 911 already dialed in on her phone. Rachel rolled her eyes. "See? Nothing to worry about. Now let's go."

Rosa eyed the mysterious men one last time before nodding her head and following Rachel towards Hickory Ave. The girls walked in silence, the only sounds audible being their shoes meeting the asphalt, as well as the sounds of car horns blaring in the distance. She didn't show it, but Rosa was deeply relieved to be on the path back to the safety of the Pokemon Center. It was situations like these that made Her glad she had Rachel around. They'd been in similar situations countless times before; Rosa would land them in some sort of predicament, and when things started to get out of hand, Rachel would emerge from the back seat and take over in one way or another and get them back on track. She truly was a good person to have around, despite her mood swings.

"I just wish I knew more about her..." murmured Rosa, thinking aloud.

By the time she realized she had actually said that out loud, it was too late.

"Knew more about who?" asked Rachel, not turning around.

"Well... you." asked Rosa, deciding against attempting to cover up her mistake. "Every time I ask, you never tell me anything. I know whatever it is, it must be a touchy subject, and I respect that. But at the same time... we've been traveling together for over a year now, and I still barely know you."

"Well... what's there to know anyway?" sighed Rachel, making the left onto Stone Street, like the men had said.

"Anything you're willing to tell." said Rosa eagerly.

"I'm not willing to tell anything because there's nothing worth telling. I was homeless and lived on the streets." answered Rachel simply. "And then you came and helped me, probably saving my life in the process."

"Rachel, I know there's more to it than that."

"There really isn't."

"There's gotta be."

"You'd be surprised."

"Maybe I want to be surprised."

Rachel groaned; Rosa was being more persistent than usual with this.

"Listen Rosa, I-"

Suddenly, Rachel stopped walking, causing Rosa to bump into her from behind.

Rosa frowned. "Why'd you stop... walking..."

They had reached a dead end. In fact, Rachel had been so caught up in her conversation with Rosa that she hadn't even noticed that Stone Street didn't look like much of a street at all. It was just a long, isolated alley, one with no outlet. She turned around and looked at the sign in the distance, the one labeled Stone Street. Just then, a small gust of wind blew. The sign fell over, clearly not as sturdy as an actual street sign. It was pretty obvious at that point that Stone Street didn't exist, at least not the one she was told to go on.

Rachel frowned; they had been tricked.

"Rosa, let out Pignite." she ordered, looking around. Her demeanor had changed nearly instantaneously from her usual uncaring attitude to an alert, battle-ready young woman. "Those guys sent us to a dead end. In times like this, it's best to assume the worst. Stay close to me."

"Go, Pignite!" hollered Rosa, tossing her pokeball into the air.

In a flash of light, Rosa's Unova starter pokemon stood before the two girls, looking around for an opponent. When it saw there was none in sight, it looked at Rosa questioningly.

"Rachel and I are in a bad part of town, and we need you to watch our backs..." explained Rosa. "Can you do that for us?"

Pignite nodded and flexed his arms proudly, promising to protect his owner. Rosa nodded at Pignite, then grabbed Rachel's hand. Usually Rachel didn't like being touched by anyone, but she knew that it was best for her and Rosa to stay as close together as possible. Together, the group of three began to walk towards the exit of the long, poorly lit alley. But before they could make any more than 5 steps, Pignite started to growl. Rachel and Rosa turned around, to see Pignite staring upwards, it's teeth bared threateningly. Both girls slowly looked in the same direction as Pignite, and what they saw sent chills down their spines.

It was the hooded men from earlier. They were standing on the tops of the buildings that formed the alley, one on each side.

"Well, it looks like you were right, Wade." said one of the men, loud enough for the girls below to hear. "Young women _are_ easy to trick."

"Indeed they are, Rex." answered Wade. Rachel recognized his voice; he was the one who gave her the directions. Seeing the irritated look on Rachel's face, Wade smirked. "Whether they're two or twenty, there's no difference."

Both men jumped from their positions, landing in front of the girls. Pignite began to growl louder, taking a threatening step towards the men. However, all the fire-type's threats seemed to do was amuse the men.

"What do you want from us?" seethed Rachel, holding tightly onto Rosa's hand.

"Not important." answered Rex dismissively. "Now, we can do this one of two ways; either you come with us and no one gets hurt, or we make you come with us."

"Neither!" cried Rosa. "Pignite, Flamethrower!"

Pignite immediately released a torrent of fire at the two men, creating a small blast of smoke and dust. Seeing this as an opportunity to escape, Rachel began to run in the opposite direction from the men, pulling Rosa along.

"Pignite, return!" called Rosa, pressing the button on Pignite's ball while she was still close enough.

When she felt the ball click, she placed it in her bag. With Pignite returned, she could focus all her attention on getting out of the alley with Rachel. But unfortunately, things weren't that simple. Just as they neared the exit of the alley, a large creature swooped down from above, blocking them from exiting. It was a pokemon no doubt, but it was one Rosa had never seen in real life, only on TV. She was already terrified of them whenever she saw them on TV, but seeing one in real life was enough to render her immobile.

"Good job, Hydreigon," called a voice, one which the girls recognized. They both turned around, and out of the cloud of dust from Pignite's Flamethrower emerged Wade, with Rex following close behind. Next to them was yet another dragon-type pokemon, a Garchomp. Wade smirked. "Now we have them cornered."

Rachel could feel Rosa's hand tremble in fear. They were surrounded, two grown men and a Garchomp on one side, and a Hydreigon on the other. Any chance of escape they had thought they had was lost. It was at this moment that Rachel couldn't help but blame herself. The entire situation was her fault. She was the older of the two, yet Rosa had been the one in charge of their walk throughout the city. In hindsight, it was foolish to let a 15 year-old navigate her way through an enormous city while she, a fully grown 20 year-old, just followed. Sure she had eventually taken up responsibility, but look where it led them; at the mercy of two shady men and their beastly pokemon. This feeling of helplessness wasn't new to Rachel. She had felt it many times in her past that she kept hidden from Rosa.

"Please," she croaked, painful memories coming to the surface. "Just take me and do whatever you want. Leave Rosa out of it."

Rosa, who was already weeping at this point, looked at Rachel in shock, while Rex and Wade let out hearty laughs, finding Rachel's words to be quite humorous.

"Who ever said you're in the position to strike deals?" asked Rex. "You're both coming with us. If you wont let us take you, then we'll go through with what we said earlier and just take you by force. But don't worry, we won't kill you. You need to be alive for what our superiors want to do with you. Garchomp, knock them out with a weak attack."

Rex's Garchomp grunted in reply, slowly walking towards the girls. Then, the walk transformed into a trot, and the trot into a charge. Both girls held onto eachother and closed their eyes, knowing they were cornered with nowhere to run. With nothing else to do but wait for the monstrous pseudo-legendary to descend on them, both Rachel and Rosa let out screams of pure fear that echoed into the night.

But the attack never came.

Instead, a loud noise startled the girls out of their screams, and when they opened their eyes, the alley looked a lot different than it did 10 seconds earlier. For starters, there was significantly more light than before. This was thanks to the blue flames of energy that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, which seemed to be spreading even further with each passing second. They danced across the walls, stretched across the floor, and most importantly, they seemed to be enveloping Rex's Garchomp, damaging the dragon. Both girls looked at eachother, then at the flames once again. Meanwhile, from the other side of Garchomp, Rex and Wade bore similar looks of shock.

"What the hell-"

"Y'know, flashy entrances usually aren't my thing..." echoed a new voice, gaining the attention of all people present in the alley.

From the rooftops above, yet another hooded figure hopped down, landing in between Garchomp and the girls. Though this newcomer was hooded, he definitely wasn't in league with Rex and Wade, as the rest of his clothes differed greatly from the two men's uniforms. This person wore a simple pair of black jeans, a plain baby blue hoodie, and white sneakers.

"But after two years of waiting for this moment..." he continued, turning to Rosa and Rachel. As he turned to them, he removed his hood, revealing oxford blue hair that was in desperate need of a trimming. "How could I resist waiting til the very last second to make my appearance?"

Rachel's green eyes locked with the dark brown ones of her and Rosa's savior, and for a moment, all the chaos around them disappeared, the two lost in their own world.

"Max...?" uttered Rachel in disbelief.

"It's been a while." answered Max Maple, now 17 years old. His face mouth curved upwards in a small smile, his gaze softening considerably after Rachel said his name. "I almost didn't recognize you what with the black hair and green eyes. Good thing eyesight isn't my only means of identifying people nowadays..."

"Y-you know him?" asked Rosa timidly, grabbing Rachel's rigidly still shoulder. "Is he here to h-help us?!"

"Of course I'm here to help," answered Max, turning his back to the pair.

With the wave of a hand, the flames of Aura that filled the alley converged into a single glowing blue stream, which channeled its way into his palm. When all of it was absorbed, he closed his hand into a fist, and for a second, his entire body glowed with azure light. He eyed Rex and Wade, who seemed to recognize his face after he removed his hood, as well as their Garchomp, who seemed to be recovering from his attack. He then looked over his shoulder and looked past Rachel and Rosa, staring down the snarling Hydreigon behind them.

His eyes flickered from brown to blue, a rather confident smile slithering its way across his face.

"I'm her brother after all."

* * *

 **Yeah I'm not sure whether i liked how this chapter came out, but whatever... Sorry if you didn't like it. I'm just gonna keep things short and sweet here. The next Divinus chapter will come out in about a week. To those who read that story, seeya then.  
**

 **Adios,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello Hello Hello. Well, this is a shorter chapter, only about 6,500 words of actual story. I know, pretty lame to come back from yet another long, random, unannounced hiatus from FanFiction in general, but hey, I started writing, and when I got to where I wanted the chapter to end, it came out short. Sorry...  
**

 **Q &A**

everyman52

Has this been discontinued

 **Answer: Nah man.**

Nitrous

Hey are you dead?

 **Answer: Nah man.**

Dillon406

Can you please bring back Ash's lucario back in or do you already have a plan for that?

 **Answer: I've got plans for that already :)**

Major Come Back

How many chapters will u make in this story

 **Answer: At the pace this is going... 25-30 would be a good estimate.**

NitrousWolf0123

Im glad to hear,you're staying with it. :D Also, are there gonna be more of Ash's pokemon? Or any battles really? Im pretty sure the answer is obvious considering this is pokemon, but i was just curious how it will come into play.

 **Answer: Not really. Pokemon will be used to aid and combine attacks with their human partners in this story. It's my way of avoiding writing traditional pokemon battles, because I hate writing them.**

the core of justice

will mewtwo be in this story

 **Answer: Nah man.**

stevexclax

Now for some questions. Will May/Rachel learn how to use aura too? Also, how did May change her eye color? Will May and Serena meet again, and will May/Rachel get to read "Aura Guardians: A Complete History"? Lastly, why is the cult giving out books about aura when they want to kill aura guardians?

 **Answer: Yes, colored contacts, yes, kind of, and maybe not all is as it seems...  
**

Lover of Pokemon

What happened to May. I really hope she's still a virgin.

 **Answer: She is.**

 **Alright, that's that. Enjoy Chapter 5!  
**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own pokemon. But digimon? That shit's mine fam.**

* * *

 **V**

* * *

It was as if time had slowed down. May could do nothing but stare as Max, the brother she had left behind, now stood in front of her, accompanied by a vibrant display of Aura. Just the sight of Max would have been enough to render her speechless, but the fact that he was using _Aura_ as well left her in a mental state comparable to that of a baked potato.

"Rachel?!" cried Rosa, frantically shaking May's arm. "Rachel! Is he really your brother?! Dammit girl, answer me!"

"Rachel?" asked Max, snorting. "Of all the names available, you chose _Rachel?_ I don't even think the name Rachel is in style anymo-"

"Hydreigon, Dragon Breath!"

From behind May and Rosa emanated a green glow. Both girls turned around to see Wade's Hydreigon charging up its Dragon Breath attack, all 3 of the beast's heads targeting them. From behind the girls, Max could be seen making a quick, discrete gesture with his hand. Right as the vicious three-headed darkness dragon released its deadly torrent of draconic energy, the flames of Aura that surrounded the entire scene concentrated to one area: in front of May and Rosa. They coagulated to construct a wall of Aura, saving the girls from harm.

"A Hydreigon..." murmured Max, raising his hand forward. "Half Dark-type... Shouldn't be too hard then."

With another quick wave of Max's hand, the wall of Aura protecting May and Rosa began to surge forward, approaching Wade's Hydreigon. Knowing what Max was up to, Wade balled his hands into fists.

"Hydreigon, get away from the wall! Fly upwards, NOW!" he shouted.

"As if that'll save him." muttered Max, watching as the Brutal Pokemon took flight.

With yet another flick of the wrist, his wall of Aura collapsed back into a mass of blue flames. The mass of untamed Aura then rose into the air and concentrated itself into a single potent blast, one which came into direct contact with Hydreigon. The pokemon immediately fell out of the sky, landing on top of Rex's Garchomp, which would have recovered from Max's entrance attack otherwise. Now both pokemon were unconscious, leaving Rex and Wade out of usable pokemon. But no, they did not white out.

While May had managed to maintain the same dumbfounded look on her face for the past 5 or 6 minutes, Rosa had gone through multiple different expressions, each one displaying more and more awe than the last. She had just watched this mystery man swoop in from nowhere, save her, and, with the help of some absolutely _bananas_ super powers, single-handedly take down a Garchomp and Hydreigon, two pokemon that she considered to be Grade-A nightmare-fuel.

"...How..." she exhaled, eyes wide.

"Of all the pokemon types, Aura's composition is most closely akin to the Fighting-type, which is why Aura Sphere is classified as a Fighting-type move. Hydreigons are half Dark-type, making them especially weak against Aura." explained Max, his eyes returning to their normal brown color. As they did, the remaining Aura in the scene vanished. With a deep exhale, Max looked at both Wade and Rex, and then turned to May. He frowned at the shocked expression on her face. "Okay, I get that's been a while since we last saw each other, but you're _way_ too surprised, May. Yes, it's me, your brother, Max."

Once again, May neither said nor did anything. She remained still as a statue.

Rosa frowned. "Rache-"

"Her name is May." corrected Max, adjusting his glasses. "May Maple. She's my older sister. I'm Max Maple."

"Y'know, after getting a good look at your face, I do see the resemblance..." admitted Rosa, cupping her chin in her hand. "The features look a lot better on girl though-"

"OKAY!" shouted Wade, angrily shoving his right hand into his coat pocket. "Since our pokemon are out of the picture, it seems we'll have to resort to Plan B, Rex!"

Rex nodded his head, also reaching into his pocket. Max rolled his eyes, letting out a condescending snort as he did so.

"You guys don't know when to quit, do you?" he asked, tilting his head. "Can't you tell it's over? There's nothing you could have that I can't take care of-"

With confident smirks, Rex and Wade pointed their newly-revealed pistols at Max, May, and Rosa. Max's eyes widened.

"Oh shit."

"Oh shit indeed, kid!" laughed Rex, wiggling his gun. "Your Aura won't protect you and your friends from bullets, will it? Now, hand over the girls, and get lost. But definitely hand over the girls first."

Suddenly, things became very quiet and tense. Pokemon could be fought, but guns... not so much. In fact, even though this was a serious matter, Max couldn't help but wonder why _pokemon_ were Rex and Wade's Plan A, when they had GUNS all along. Didn't make much sense.

Regardless, the situation was now a sticky one, and Max was forced to think his hardest to formulate a plan that would allow him to save the girls, while keeping everyone out of harm's way. But time wasn't a luxury to be had at the moment, and even though he'd just met them, it was obvious to Max that Rex and Wade were the type to have itchy trigger fingers. He could feel May's eyes fixed on him, probably wondering what mystical magical miracle he'd perform next. He could also see Rosa, but she was much more concerned with the firearms pointed towards her, like most people would be. Max sighed.

"They're all yours." he muttered, closing his eyes.

"Good choice." said Wade, nodding his head. "You, brown hair. Come here."

Rosa's eyes widened as she looked at her own hair... it was brown. She looked at Max, who's eyes were still closed. His hair was not brown. She then looked at May, who was giving Max the most incredulous look her terrified self could muster. Her hair wasn't brown at the moment either. This meant that Wade was indeed talking to her, and no one else.

"Come. Here." repeated Wade, more sternly this time.

Afraid for her life, Rosa decided to obey the man, shakily making her way towards him. It took her a while, given the intense shivers that plagued her legs during the short walk, but eventually she got there. Wade wrapped his arm around Rosa, holding her closely to his left side, his right hand still pointing his gun at May and Max.

"It's amazing how easy this got once we used our guns, huh Wade?" asked Rex. "Why was this our Plan _B?_ "

"I was actually wondering the same thing not too long ago." answered two different voices.

Wade's eyes narrowed as he looked at Max, who's eyes were still closed.

"What did you sa-"

"Really," continued Max. "If you started with the guns right off the bat, I might not have had enough time to think of a way to get out of this mess. Oh well."

Max's eyes opened, revealing an azure glow in them. Suddenly, a burst of Aura enveloped Wade's right hand, disarming him... literally. The charred, mangled remains of Wade's hand fell to the asphalt below, his pistol landing not too far from it. The villain roared out in pain, but kept his hold on Rosa. In fact, his hold became tighter in an attempt to help him assimilate and accept the pain he was feeling. But it did not help in the slightest.

"Wade!" hollered Rex, dropping his gun out of shock from this sudden turn of events. "Are you okay?!"

"NO I AM NOT!" roared Wade. "SHOOT HIM!"

As Rex dropped to his knees to pick up his gun, Max snapped his arm downwards, prompting a miniaturized pokeball to roll out of his hoodie's sleeve into his hand. Without a moment's hesitation, he enlarged the ball to normal size and released the creature within in a flash of white light that lit up the dark alleyway, causing everyone but Max to close their eyes. Before the light even died down, the sound of Rex's gun firing sounded, three loud bangs echoing into the night.

"REFLECT!" roared Max, a fraction of a second after the shots were heard.

"AGH!"

When the light died down and everyone opened their eyes, they were met with the sight of May, Max, and a tall red, green, and white pokemon surrounded by a crystal clear, sparkling bubble. Rex was down on the ground, three fresh gunshot wounds causing blood to stain the chest area of his clothing. May let out a sigh of relief; both bad guys seemed to have been taken care of. She then looked at Max, her brother who she had left behind, the brother who had just saved her and Rosa from fates unknown. Was this really the same person?

Max smiled and placed his hand on top of his pokemon's head, gently petting it.

"Thanks, Gardevoir. You really saved us there..." he cooed.

"Garrrdevoiiirrrr..." sang the Embrace Pokemon.

Wade, having (at least to the point of regaining some sort of composure) gotten used to the pain of his amputated right hand, eyed Rex, who was most certainly dead... or at best _near_ death. The situation was no longer in his favor, and it was definitely time for Plan C: retreating. But unfortunately for him, his thoughts were interrupted by the girl he was holding. Realizing she was probably the safest from the cold embrace of certain death as she had been in the past 20 minutes, the feisty teen within began to come to the surface.

"Get your gross, smelly, stupid arm off me!" she growled, attempting to wriggle free from Wade's grasp.

At the sound of Rosa's voice, May, Max, and Gardevoir turned to Rosa and Wade, realizing that they weren't out of the woods just yet. Wade glared at the people standing before him. This was supposed to be an easy mission, just a quick capturing. But instead, it had turned into a full-on battle, one that ended in the death of his right-hand man of many years.

 _"There's no way I'm returning to base with nothing whatsoever! Rex didn't die in vain!"_ he thought, leaning towards his arm that struggled to hold Rosa. There was a watch-like gadget on his wrist. As soon as his face got close enough, it lit up. "This is Wade Felix! Requesting immediate transportation back to base!"

Instantly, a black mass of darkness began to form behind Wade and Rosa.

 _"A portal!"_ thought Max, Aura lighting up his irises. "I won't let you get away!"

"Too late..." chuckled Wade maniacally, leaning backwards into the portal, taking Rosa with him.

"Stop!" shouted May, running towards Wade and Rosa, whose upper halves were already submerged in the festering shadows. t was then that she finally realized she had been silent for far too long. During the entire ordeal she had just looked around, unable to believe each and every turn of events. But watching Rosa being pulled away by a mysterious man had triggered her, bringing forth memories of the last time a dear friend had been taken away while she watched helplessly. She wouldn't let it happen again. "ROSA!"

"Rachel!" cried Rosa as both Wade's legs and her own disappeared into the portal.

May lunged forward, but right as she would have made contact with the dark gateway, it vanished out of existence, leaving nothing but hard asphalt for her to land on.

"Agh!" she screamed, her arm grinding against the rigid surface.

"May!" called Max, running towards his injured sister. He knelt beside her, grabbing her arm. "Hold on, I can help."

"Rosa..." murmured the 20-year old girl, her tone a depressed one. "Come back..."

"I'm sorry I couldn't save her, May..." apologized Max, using his Aura to heal May's arm. "I promise, one day we'll rescue her."

"Max..." answered May, watching as the glow from Max's hands soothed and erased her scrapes and bruises. She looked into her brother's eyes. "Where have you been...? What have you been doing...? You're so... _different_..."

"I could ask you the same things." retorted Max, a hint of irritation in his voice. "What on Earth have you been thinking, May? How could you leave Mom, Dad, and I like that? I know you were hurting, and I know it was the hardest time you'd ever experienced in your life, but why? We're your family for cryin' out loud! We love you, and we're always going to be here for you. What could running away from us solve? _Did_ it solve anything? It doesn't seem like it did, because just a quick skim of your Aura tells me you're just as unstable as you were the last time we all saw you. Dying your hair, getting green contacts, and changing your name wont rid you of your troubles. Facing your demons head on rids you of your troubles. The whole world thinks poorly of you now, y'know. You were the Princess of Hoenn, you were admired by so many people... now look at you... mentioning your name in public can warrant jokes now... I know you have it in you to rebuild yourself, you just have to let us help you do it. You can come back from this. May Maple isn't gone, she's not dead. She's right here with me. I need _you_ back, alright. _We_ need you back."

Max rolled another pokeball out of his hoodie's sleeve, releasing the pokemon within. May's eyes widened, chills running down her spine. Standing between her and Max was the pokemon she had cared for and nurtured since before it was even born: Glaceon.

"Glaceon..." croaked May, her arms shakily hovering towards the Fresh Snow Pokemon.

Before she could even touch the pokemon, however, it launched itself into her arms, nestling its face into her chest. May looked down at the pokemon in disbelief, and suddenly, tears began to cloud her vision. It wasn't too long before she broke down into a full sob.

"Now here's the deal." continued Max, moving to the next phase of his speech. "First, we're going to get out of here. You and I both are going back home, to reunite with Mom and Dad."

"Y-you s-say that like l-like you've been missing t-too..." observed May.

"I have." answered Max, momentarily removing his gaze from May's eyes in slight shame. "Let's just say... Dad and I weren't on the same page when it came to me using Aura. He didn't want me to, but I knew that by using it, I'd have better chances of finding you eventually, so I left home... and never went back. It's been about 2 years since then. All of my Aura skills are self-taught, which is why, if you noticed, they're not all that aesthetically pleasing. And speaking of Aura... you don't seem too surprised that I can use it, May. You haven't even asked."

Max gave May a knowing look.

"May," he continued, "you can use it too, can't you?"

"N-no I ca-"

"Don't lie..." sighed Max. "I can sense that kind of stuff."

May looked down at her lap, which was occupied by Glaceon.

"I _can_ use it..." she admitted quietly. "But I can't _use_ it. It was a one time thing, and I haven't been able to use it since."

"What happened?" asked Max.

"It was before I met Rosa... I got myself into some trouble with some guys... my back was against the wall, and there was nowhere to go..."

"So basically, it was a situation similar to what just happened?"

"Yes... Anyway, right when they were about to... go through with their actions, I let out a scream, and then my body started to tingle... and there was some blue flashes of light... and when everything cleared up, the guys were knocked out... and I was light-headed. It never occurred to me that it was Aura that had saved me... until I saw you using it just now. I don't know, maybe since the circumstances were similar, I might have been able to tap into it again if you hadn't saved us, but I'm not sure..."

"Hm, sounds about right..." hummed Max, looking at Gardevoir. The Embrace Pokemon nodded its head. Max nodded as well. "Just like the book said... The Maple Clan's Aura is closely connected to their emotions... I awoke my powers out of anger, and you out of desperation..."

"Book...?"

"I'll explain later." answered Max, standing up. "Right now, we've gotta get home. We'll reunite with Mom and Dad, everyone will catch up with everyone, we'll get you back on your medication, and settle down a bit-"

"What about Rosa?" asked May, rising to her feet as well. "We have to save Rosa, Max. You said we would. She's only 15 years old, we cant leave her with those guys."

Max closed his eyes and sighed. "As much as I'd love to, it's nowhere near that simple. I don't know where she's been taken, as I don't know where the cult's bases are. It seems they use some sort of cloaking devices or something to hide their presences from Aura-users. And even if I knew where their bases were... I'm not about to go storm one. I'm nowhere near strong enough to launch a rescue operation by myself. I know you care about her very much, but Rosa's going to be with those guys for a while... But don't worry, they won't kill her though. Obviously they wanted you and her for something, otherwise they would've killed you right away. They're gonna keep her alive, for what, I have no idea. Someday she'll be freed though... We'll save her with the help of the Chosen Guardian, when he comes... which should be soon, if the book is right."

May looked at Max as if he were insane.

" _Chosen Guardian_? You've been messing with a **c** _ **ult**?_ " she asked, tilting her head. "And what is this _book_ you keep mentioning?"

"I'll fill you in on everything later, alright?" replied Max, placing a hand on Gardevoir. "Now, let's get out of here. Grab on."

Max outstretched his hand for May to hold, but instead, she put Glaceon in Gardevoir's arms and wrapped her own around Max, pulling him into a loving hug. Even though she was terrified of what could happen to Rosa, she couldn't let it dismiss the joy of being reunited with Max. He had grown in the past three years, that much went without saying. But even though he was taller, more mature, had a deeper voice, and had powers now, May still knew it was her little brother she was hugging. She only hoped Max felt the same way, given her own changes.

Max smiled and wrapped his free arm around his sister, holding her close.

"Gardevoir," he sighed. "use Teleport. Take us home."

"Gaaaardevoirrrr..." cooed Gardevoir, activating Teleport.

In seconds, May, Max, Gardevoir, and Glaceon vanished from the streets of Castelia City, their bodies being taken to their next destination: Petalburg City.

* * *

 _[Elsewhere...]  
_

In a burst of dark energy, Wade and Rosa appeared in a setting completely different than the Unova alleyway they were just in. Pale white light lit this new area, giving Rosa a clear view of her surroundings. Instead of asphalt, smooth granite tiles covered the floors. Instead of brick, solid steel formed the walls. They seemed to be in a hallway, one that didn't seem to have an end, no matter which way Rosa looked. As expected, Rache- May (she had to get used to that) and Max were nowhere to be found.

"Son of a bitch..." swore Wade through gritted teeth, glaring at where his right hand used to be. As expected, blood was still oozing from the stub. "I swear I'll get that kid back one day... But first, I'll take care of _you_."

Rosa's eyes narrowed as she stuck her tongue out at Wade in the most defiant of manners.

"Eat a dick, Wayne!" she spat, once again launching an attempt to wriggle free from his grasp. "Where am I?!"

"Oh... you'll see." answered Wade, ignoring Rosa's deliberate use of a name similar to, but not his own. "Your stay here will change your life, that's for sure."

While Rosa stared at Wade in slight fear of what he possibly could have meant, Wade turned towards the nearest door and leaned forward. On the door was a small black dot, which Rosa assumed was a peephole or something. But, much to her surprise, it revealed itself to be an eye scanner when a red laser shot from it, scanning Wade's retina. After scanning Wade's eye, the laser went from red to green, and the sound of the door unlocking could be heard. The door then slid open, revealing nothing but pitch black darkness on the other side.

"Welcome to Hell," said Wade, tossing Rosa into the room. "Enjoy your stay."

Rosa screamed as she landed on her hands and knees, onto what felt like another tiled floor. She turned towards the door she had come through, and saw it slide closed at a speed far too fast for her to even think of challenging. With the door closed, Rosa was left in an absolute mystery of a room, with no light whatsoever to show her around.

"Is anyone here-"

Suddenly, bright light illuminated the room, causing a tingling sensation in Rosa's eyes. Shockingly, the room was all white, with absolutely no furniture. Everything was so blank, so void of any color or warmth, that it almost felt like the room wasn't suitable for humans. It felt completely artificial and void of any life... and the icing on the cake was the fact that the room was _literally_ cold as well. Rosa folded her arms in an attempt to combat what must have been at least 40 degree (Fahrenheit) temperatures.

She exhaled. Her breath was visible. It was white. Everything was _white_. The tiles on the floor were white, as were two walls: the one behind Rosa, and the one to her left, the one which held the door Wade had thrown her in through.

The other two walls, however, were different.

They were clear. At first, the brunette thought the one on the left was a mirror, for it showed a sight nearly identical to her room; two white walls, one with a door, and a clear wall in front. It even had a brown haired person in it, but that was where the difference lay. It was not a brown haired girl in that room, but a brown haired boy. He was definitely an absolute stranger, because if Rosa had seen him before, she'd have not forgotten such a handsome face. He wore a red visor, a blue zip-up shirt, and white shorts, as well as skin-tight black sleeves covering his arms and legs. His auburn eyes met Rosa's blue ones, seeming to mirror her emotions... attraction included. Just one look at eachother, and they both knew they were thinking the same thing:

 _"Where are we?"_

"You're probably wondering where you are." echoed a voice in both rooms, prompting Rosa and this mystery boy to break their eye contact.

They both looked around, until a large face appeared on the clear walls in both of their rooms. It was a relatively young face, no older than 30. Though their face was young, the man's hair was white as snow. His hair was long, curly, and unkempt, many locks of it sprawled across his face. Through the white bangs, the even brighter white of glaring glasses lenses shone, providing perfect contrast to the man's dull, yellowing teeth, which were displayed in a sleazy grin.

"Welcome to my lab, Rosalina, Nathaniel. Or, more precisely, a section of my lab. I am Dr. Feinberg, head scientist of the Shadow Order, as well as one of the 7 Grand Disciples of Master Brecht." greeted Dr. Feinberg, adjusting his glasses. His yellow eyes narrowed in demented joy at his next words. "You two have been given the stupendous honor of being my male and female test subjects for all the experiments I am to conduct for the next few years... I dearly hope you are excited as I am."

* * *

 _[Petalburg City]_

 _..._

And so, time passed. Upon their arrival home, May and Max were met with the loving embraces of their parents, as well as countless tears of joy. The Maple family had finally been reunited after 3 years of separation. But as one would most certainly expect, it was not all hugs and kisses. Once the displays of affection had ended, the scolding had begun. Both May and Max received earfuls of lecture, reminding them (though they never really forgot to begin with) of how much stress, fear, and despair their actions had put their parents through. The lecturing lasted for about 2 days, and then finally, everyone calmed down.

The next order of action was to take May to her psychiatrist, so he could prescribe her a new bottle of her old medication. The brunette (having removed the dye from her hair, as well as the green contacts) had no objections, knowing very well that taking her meds was the first step to regaining stability and rebuilding her life. However, it was not easy entering the psychiatrists office. It never was. It always reminded her of the incident that started her Manic Depression, A.K.A. Bipolar Disorder. It was a problem that had ailed her _before_ Ash's death.

But that was a story for another time.

Determined to become the girl she once was, May took her medication daily without fail, and after many months of steady commitment and hard work, it was clear that the old May was back. If they hadn't experienced her absence, Norman, Caroline, and Max wouldn't have even been able to tell she ran away from home and almost destroyed her life just 2 years prior. She was planning on returning to the Coordinating scene when the next season started, in just a couple short months. She had not begun building a team yet, the only pokemon in her possession still being Glaceon. Catching more was definitely on her to-do list, but for some reason, she kept putting it off, which was very unlike her...

Regardless, May was back to normal, and the future looked bright.

After starting May's recovery, Max's Aura capabilities were the next topic of discussion. While they were undoubtedly the reason Max was able to track May down and find her, they were also the product of Max blatantly disregarding his father's wishes. Max was told only to use them for emergencies from then on, which he reluctantly agreed to. Of course, most of the emergencies that occurred in the following 2 years were of the medical sort, varying from healing wounded pokemon to soothing his father's head after accidentally bumping into open kitchen cabinets. This change in use of Max's powers resulted in him nearly forgetting how to use Aura offensively, while his healing capabilities only continued to grow and hone themselves.

Opting to stay home as long as May did, Max did not resume his career as a Trainer. But that did not mean he didn't train. His two pokemon, Gardevoir and one other, constantly spent their time with him, furthering their bonds to a spiritual level, which led to Max establishing empathy links to their Aura. he could hear his pokemon's voices in his mind perfectly, and they could hear his just as well. Such a sync would definitely come in handy when he got back into battling Gym Leaders and rivals.

But the bond with his pokemon was nothing compared to the bond he shared with his sister. They had become twice as close since her return home. They spent much of their time together, whether it be running errands, playing video games, or simply lazing around the house. Max spent a lot of his time teaching May about Aura, lore included. Once again, May asked how he knew all of this, leading Max to go to his room, open a drawer, and pull out a royal blue book.

"This," he said, opening the book. "Is _Aura Guardians: A Complete History_ _._ It's a book that details as the name suggests, a near complete history of Aura Guardians and such. I found it just... laying on the street. Crazy right?"

He handed it to May, who opened the book. Just one look at the random page she opened caused her to close it and hand it back to Max. Max raised an eyebrow, opening to the page May had opened. It was one of the first pages, the one with the detailed sketch of an ancient Aura Guardian. Max put two and two together, realizing the drawing most likely resembled the man that had taken Ash away.

Even though May had recovered from her rough patch in life, Ash Ketchum was still a touchy subject. His name was given the Voldemort treatment by Max and their parents, usually being referred to as you-know-who or some other nickname, even when May wasn't nearby. From what Max had read in the book, there was an astronomically high chance that Ash was still alive, and the chance of him being the Chosen Guardian destined to save everyone was nowhere near farfetched either. But May didn't want to hear anything having to do with him. She didn't know it, but Max could tell that avoiding thoughts of Ash was the true reason behind May's reluctance to catch any new pokemon. Whenever he brought up catching pokemon, he could feel an uneasy sadness emanate from her Aura.

But it wasn't just memories of Ash that haunted May; memories of Rosa were swirling inside as well. It was those that really made Max sad. He blamed himself for her capturing, convincing himself that she could have been saved if he had acted differently. But there was nothing he could do now that she was taken, and similar to Ash, she became a subject not to be brought up. Eventually she had become such a forbidden topic that she was barely thought of anymore. Occasionally she'd cross someone's mind, prompting them to feel guilty and/or sad for the following hours, but in the grand scheme of things, Rosa ended up as close to forgotten as a person could be without actually being forgotten. But on the off chance that she _did_ come to mind, the thought was always dismissed with a terribly cliché _"We'll see her again someday... I know it."_ type of reasoning.

But as naive as that thought was... it was not far from the fate's plan. As time passed by, the pieces of the prophecy grew closer and closer, and soon, sooner than anyone thought, the puzzle would be on its course to completion...

...

 _[2 years later... [ **0** years til Ash's return]]_

 _..._

"May?"

"..."

"May... wake up."

"..."

"WAKE UP!"

A pair of sapphire eyes bolted open, slightly bloodshot from the loud voice that woke them. The eyes darted around frantically, until they found what they were looking for: a 19 year-old boy with dark hair and glasses. He sported a full set of facial hair; beard, mustache, and sideburns, all of them fully connecting into eachother. None of it was thick, but it had grown in enough to look less like a teen desperately keeping any hair that miraculously grew on his face, and more like a young man who liked to keep his facial hair at a short, manageable length. Either way, she was going to make fun of it.

"You need to shave, Max." said May, groggily sitting up in her bed. She pushed stray strands of her brown hair out of her face; it had grown long, a couple inches past her shoulders. "You look like a wolf-man."

"And you need to get your lazy ass out of bed." retorted Max, unknowingly confirming his facial hair insecurities by touching his stubble. "You have to start packing, we're leaving for Kanto tomorrow morning. Your nap is over."

"My naps are never over..." replied May, going back to sleep.

Max sighed. They were going to Kanto for the first time in years the next day. The first ever World Conference Games were going to be held there, in Celadon City. The games were the product of the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola leagues deciding that every four years, they'd send their best Trainers, Coordinators, and Performers to one place, where the best in the world in each craft would be decided via 6 separate tournaments. There was a Coordinating tournament, a Performing tournament, and a Battling tournament, as well as doubles tournaments for each of the three professions. Ever since the announcing of such an event 1 year prior, almost everyone who was anyone was rushing to either register themselves into a tournament, get tickets for a tournament, or simply learn more about the event.

Max had been able to get his hands on two tickets, one for May, and one for himself. Neither of them had registered for any tournaments, both of them much more content with the idea of simply spectating and enjoying the festivities. It was definitely something they were looking forward to, in fact, it was hard not to get all giddy when thinking about how amazing it was gonna be. But none of that fun was going to be had in the coming week if a certain brunette didn't pack her belongings...

"May, it's 6:00pm. The ferry to Kanto DEPARTS at 9:00am tomorrow. This is literally the only time you have to pack. You have to get it done tonight, there wont be any time tomorrow." warned Max.

"Alright... I'll pack..." answered May, waving a hand in the air dismissively. "Happy?"

Max walked to his right, exiting May's room. "Yes."

In actuality, May completely understood what Max was saying and fully agreed with him. It was just fun to mess with him and give him unnecessary difficulty. With a content sigh, May sat up in her bed once more, removing her blanket from her lower body. Energized from her nap, the brunette sprung out of bed, a smile on her face.

 _"This is so exciting,"_ she thought, opening her closet. She pulled out her luggage. " _I haven't been to an actual tournament since..._ "

May's smile faltered for a bit as she remembered the last time she'd been to such a large pokemon battling event. It wasn't with Rosa... they never finished their journey together. It was many years ago at the Ever Grande Conference, with...

 _"_ Ash..." thought May aloud, opening her luggage. She began packing clothes into the case, her face having gone from excited to just... present. _"Come on... enough is enough. It's been about 5_ _ _years_ since that day already... His name shouldn't affect me as much as it does..."_

May continued packing her things, though her smile was gone. She refused to frown though, determined to keep her face in at least blank state.

 _"I'm.. I'm tired of letting that define me... He's gone, and that's that... I can't live the rest of my life running from that simple fact. My life is back on track and almost everything is back to normal. I can't be like this forever... It's time to move on... Fully. I've come so far..."_

May reached over to her nightstand and grabbed a small bottle. It contained her medication, which she had unfailingly taken every day since Max had brought her home.

"I've come so far..." she repeated aloud, putting the bottle in her luggage.

* * *

 _[North of Mt. Moon, outskirts of Kanto Region]_

 _"I've come so far..."  
_

Long honey-blonde hair swayed in the wind as its owner climbed up the rocky slope, the young woman unafraid of the drop below. Climbing up to high places had become child's play to her in the past few years of her travels. She had long ago ditched her silly teenage clothing in favor of a comfortable pair of khaki colored short shorts and a form-fitting black sleeveless top. A brown leather holster was slung across torso, holding 5 knives of different lengths, while a matching belt with 3 pokeballs attached was wrapped tightly around her waist. The most worn down of boots adorned her feet, a testament to the many physical obstacles she had overcome in her recent past. The rest of her belongings were held in a single-strap backpack slung over the opposite shoulder of her holster.

 _"You told me never to give up til the end..."_ she thought, reaching upwards.

Her hand came into contact with the peak of the slope she had climbed, prompting a sigh of relief to come from her mouth. With a light grunt, she pulled the rest of her body up, completing her climb. She was met with the sight of countless other mountains sprinkled with green vegetation and moving wildlife. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, with clouds of various shapes decorating it. And in the center of this landscape, its base just a short walk away from her, lay a landmark like no other. To many, it appeared to be a gargantuan tree, but to the trained eye, it was revealed to be a massive rock formation.

 _"But this is my last_ chance..." she thought, eying the tree-like structure. It was her destination.

She began her descent down the side of the peak she had just conquered. Her younger self would have stopped to enjoy the marvelous view for much longer, but the situation was too serious for anything like that. All she had worked for... nearly four years of searching... led up to the next few hours. Either she'd find what she was looking for, or leave with a dead dream.

 _'I've searched the world... every spiritual site there is to visit..."_

She approached the entrance, cyan-blue eyes burning with conviction.

"If I don't find you here, Ash," spoke Serena Yvonne, 22 years of age. "then my journey ends today."

* * *

 **Okay. I know, I have quite possibly the shittiest track record when it comes to updating. For that, I'm sorry. I realize now that there's really no point in me saying when I'll update, because I am complete buns when it comes to meeting said dates. Just know that no matter how long it takes, I'll update again, eventually. In this case, I HONESTLY see the next couple updates coming out fairly often, as I have shitloads of free time with it being Summer and all. So... seeya soon.  
**

 **Ta ta,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all! I'm going to keep it short and sweet here. College happened, and the first semester kicked my ass. Fanfiction wasn't a priority... but that doesn't mean I'd abandon stories. Here we are, with Chapter 6, a nice 11,700-word installment. I myself had to re-read the first few chapters of this story (I also had to re-watch the second half of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew) to write this chapter, because it's been an eternity since I've updated. I like how the chapter came out, and I hope you all do too.**

 **I'm gonna skip the Q &A this time... I'd be genuinely surprised if anyone remembered their questions from the last chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Whatever.**

* * *

 **VI**

* * *

 _[The Corridors of the Aura...]_

Silence. Pure, uneasy silence... except for the repetitive, cyclic sound of shoes hitting the ground. The main hall of the Corridors was uninhabited at the moment, save for two people, one a young man, the other a pokemon. Just a quick glance at this pair was enough to convey that they were not the type to be taken lightly. Their faces just had a certain look to them; the looks of seasoned warriors. For 5 years they had trained, reaching heights their previous selves would have thought unreachable. Now the final test was upon them, one last test of their might. Both were on the absolute highest of alerts, their eyes darting around cautiously. The young man growled. The absence of sound was unnerving. He hated this feeling... the feeling of knowing someone was watching, but being unable to find them.

"Come out already!" he called, standing still.

Strapped to his back was a black rod, only two feet long. He slowly reached for the item, being sure to stay on alert. As soon as the rod was safely in his hands, it began to _expand_ , elongating itself till it was 6 feet and 2 inches long; his height.

 _"Watch my back, Pikachu."_ he ordered, opting not to speak aloud.

 ** _"On it, bruh."_** replied the rodent, hopping from the man's shoulder onto the floor.

The duo continued to stay on alert, waiting. And then, with a quick chill barreling it's way down their spines, the true test had spontaneously begun. A horde of azure spheres shot through the air, each reaching speeds rivaling that of sound waves. With nothing short of impeccable grace and timing, the young raven-haired warrior swung his rod, halting each and every Aura Sphere in its tracks. He thrust his hand outwards, absorbing their power into his hand, only to release it back into the darkened hall before him in the shape of a concentrated beam of Aura. He could see the blast's light illuminate the halls before him, giving him just enough light to see a figure approaching at sonic speed. They held a staff of their own, one much more intricate. Said staff clashed with the young guardian's, creating shockwaves of energy.

The attacker locked eyes with the hero, smirking.

"Your final exam has begun, Ashton Ketchum, Guardian of the Aura." they spoke, their voice only lightly strained by the struggle. "Every fruit of your training must be put forth if you wish to pass... and survive."

"I, Ashton Ketchum, Guardian of the Aura and knight of Arceus, accept this test." declared Ash, his voice just as strained as his attacker's. "Square up, Sir Aaron."

In response to Ash's challenge, Sir Aaron powered up, putting his massive reserves of Aura on display. The resulting force was enough to push Ash back, the young Guardian taking a few extra steps back as Sir Aaron took a few steps forward. Their staffs still pressed against each other, sparks began to fly from the grinding of the metals. Ash grit his teeth; Sir Aaron was a monster when it came to overpowering foes. But then again, Ash did not consider himself any ordinary foe. Half of his blood was the same as Sir Aaron's... this was a game two could play. With a low growl, Ash's began to tap into his own vast pools of Aura, a brilliant display of his own being born, one rivaling - perhaps even outmatching - that of Sir Aaron's. But the retaliation was not done yet.

 _"Pikachu,"_ ordered Ash via mental link. _"Light me."_

 _ **"Gotcha, fam."**_ answered Pikachu, static electricity flying from his cheeks.

Just like Ash's, Pikachu's eyes gained an azure glow, his own Aura syncing with Ash's. Jagged arcs of electricity began to channel themselves from his cheeks into Ash's Aura. From Ash's Aura, the current traveled into Ash's black rod, and then into Sir Aaron's silver one. The result of this combination was an overpowered Pikachu's electrical energy running painfully through Sir Aaron's body, causing the Guardian to falter long enough for Ash to release even _more_ Aura, completely eclipsing Sir Aaron's. With a forceful push, Ash sent one of his five masters careening down the Corridors, landing painfully in a corner.

"One down," muttered Ash, eyeing Sir Aaron's unconscious body. Suddenly, the sound of an... _ocarina_ reached his ears. Followed by a familiar hearty laugh. Followed by the sound of some footsteps. Followed by the chants of a high level Aura attack. Ash sighed. "four to go."

The ocarina tune that resonated through the hall seemed to have an effect on the air, creating a much more moist atmosphere in the room, until finally, it began to rain... indoors.

"Sir Hylus and his damn Ocarina..." murmured Ash, gripping his staff tightly. "He literally just played a song that caused it to start raining. He's straight up Link from The Legend of Zelda. Like, there's no denying it at this poi-"

"Hnaaaaaaaah!" sounded a voice from above.

Instead of looking up, Ash and Pikachu immediately lunged away from the area they were standing. They had evaded just in time, narrowly dodging what would have been a rather painful slash from Sir Hylus and his sword. Ash slid as he landed; the rain was already proving itself to be a fantastic pain in the ass. Pikachu slid as well, immediately poising himself for an electrical counterattack as soon as he regained stable footing.

"No, Pikachu," said Ash aloud, using his black rod to deflect an incoming slash from Sir Hylus's blade. "The rain will conduct the electricity and shock us all. Leave him to me for now."

Pikachu nodded, letting Ash battle the weapon master alone. Once again, Ash powered up, planning to eliminate Sir Hylus in a similar fashion to how he dealt with Sir Aaron. But Sir Hylus was no fool. With his shield, he shoved Ash back, the wet floor causing the young Chosen Guardian to slide back a considerable distance. Remaining on his feet, Ash locked eyes with Sir Hylus, who was reaching for the boomerang attached to his waist. With deadly precision, the blonde warrior sent the boomerang swirling towards Ash. As it approached, a small tornado formed around the boomerang, creating fierce winds for Ash to contend with.

Our hero frowned, realizing that the only way to successfully deal with such an attack would be to...

 _"I'm feeling lucky today."_ mused Ash, creating an Aura Sphere in his palm.

Taking note of the fact that the tornado was spinning counter-clockwise, Ash sent the Aura Sphere to the left, the opposing direction. The sphere traveled through the winds, coming into contact with the boomerang. The result was a small blue explosion, followed by a short rain of woodchips and metal scraps that used to be a boomerang. Ash then placed both hands on his black staff, holding it as he would a baseball bat. With a light grunt, he swung, the simple black rod mystically elongating to the point of coming into contact with Sir Hylus, who was several feet away.

Having swung on Sir Hylus's left side, the side which held his sword, Ash had aimed his attack at a vital weak point. Unable to protect himself with his shield, Sir Hylus could only watch as Ash's staff approached his left flank at breakneck speed. The swing connected, smashing Sir Hylus into nearby wall. Once Ash's rod began to return to its original length, Sir Hylus slid from the wall to the floor, unconscious.

 ** _"C'mon bruh,"_** commented Pikachu, shaking his head. _**"Why you had to go and murk his ass real quick like that? Hahahaha... Real shit though, his arm is definitely broken."**_

 _"Not my problem."_ replied Ash, exhaling. _"2 down, 3 to go."_

Ash and Pikachu looked above, noticing the rain caused by Sir Hylus's Ocarina had come to a halt. The pair experienced great relief at the dismissal of the rain's noise, but experienced great concern when a new sound had become audible: a familiar chanting noise. Ash swore under his breath; it was the same chanting he'd heard earlier. The high-level Aura spell.

"Fuckin' Riley..." growled Ash, his eyes flashing from brown to blue.

It was then that the chanting ceased, and a new, much more ominous sound arose: yips and howls _._ Ash's eyes widened; One by one, pairs of blue eyes glowed into existence from the dark hall before him. It was safe to say that by that point, Ash was fully aware of what the spell's completion entailed.

"Wolves..." he seethed, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "Riley and his fuckin' bullshit, _every_ time with this guy. _Every fucking time_. _Always_ with the fancy shit... *sigh* Pikachu, stand back. We're not engaging them."

While Pikachu backed up, Ash prepared his counter-spell. Though he had learned through past experiences that a spell's full power demanded closed eyes during the incantation, Ash opted to keep his eyes open during his chant. Besides, his spell wasn't going to be anything over-the-top like Riley's. Just something simple, something that'd get the job done.

The glowing eyes began to get closer and closer, until what they were became unnervingly obvious to Pikachu as well; a pack of wolves made of _Aura..._ in an all-out sprint. The yellow mouse's eyes widened, mouth agape.

 _ **"Nnnnnnnnah."**_ he droned, backing up some more while shaking his head. _**"I ain't about that... That's some creepy shit, I do NOT fuck with the creepy shit..."**_

Ash couldn't help but chuckle a bit under his chanting at Pikachu's response to Sir Riley's spell. Unfortunately, the chuckle had an effect. On the last few lines of the chant, Ash began to see his Aura spell come into existence; a 20-foot-high chain link fence of Aura. But there was a flaw. This fence had a hole in it. A rather large hole. In fact, some would even go as far as to call it a _wolf_ -sized hole.

Ash completed the spell, his eyes fixed on the hole that his lack of concentration had created. "Oh."

The mob of Aura wolves clashed with the fence, nearly all of them being stopped in their tracks... _nearly_ all of them. One lucky wolf managed to line up perfectly with the hole, jumping through it mere seconds before Ash sealed the hole shut by adding more Aura to the fence. Ash, who would not be able to move during his counterattack, turned his head to Pikachu.

 _"Pikachu, you have to protect me while I take out Riley. One of the wolves got throu-"_

 _ **"NAHHHHH... REALLY?! DEADASS, I HAD NO FUCKING CLUE."**_ roared Pikachu, his terrified eyes fixed on the Aura Wolf sprinting straight towards him.

 _"Just take care of it!"_ ordered Ash. He then began murmuring the incantation for part two of his counter-spell. " _Para prajurit meniup tiga-satu lead, para prajurit meniup tiga-satu lead_... push forward and crush, Wall Advance."

 ** _"Push fahwad and cwush!"_** mimicked an annoyed Pikachu, his tail gaining the familiar glow of an Iron Tail.

Ash's fence began to move, pushing itself and all the wolves forward into the dark hall ahead until it could move no more, crushing the wolves into brilliant bursts of blue light. Meanwhile, Pikachu's Iron Tail delivered a swift end to the one wolf that got through. Once all the wolves were defeated, Ash formed a powerful Aura Sphere in his hand and shot it down the hall that the wolves came from. He then closed his eyes, sensing for Riley's location. He, as expected, was where the wolves had come from. But he was moving, probably trying to dodge the incoming Aura Sphere.

"But he won't." muttered Ash, waving his hand, redirecting the Sphere towards Riley's new location. The attack connected, and a yelp could be heard, followed by some curses and swears. Ash opened his eyes and smirked. "3 down, 2 to go."

 _ **"Ight so we got Sir Branford and Sir Tobias left, right?"**_ asked Pikachu, returning to his job of watching Ash's back. _ **"Well I guess we're gonna have a battle or some shit like that with Tobias, but what's Raisin Bran gonna test us with? I swear if that mothafucka makes us throw hands-"**_

"GET READY TO THROW SOME HANDS KIDDO!" roared a familiar voice.

Ash and Pikachu immediately went on high alert, recognizing the voice as that of Sir Branford's.

 _ **"Well how 'bout that?"**_ commented Pikachu. _ **"Ya boi must be a psychic-type too-"**_

Pikachu was cut off by the sight of Sir Branford crashing in through a nearby window and immediately clothes-lining Ash, sending the young Guardian soaring through the air. The pain from the attack was immense, a testament to the older Guardian's brute strength. Ash could feel that he'd have trouble talking properly for the next couple minutes.

"Yeah... how 'bout that?" he replied, his voice scratchy and pained.

He immediately braced himself for Sir Branford's next attack, which was definitely coming soon. Sir Branford was sprinting towards him, his fist reared back for a powerful punch. This time around, Ash was ready. With a stern game-face, Ash firmly planted his feet on the ground, assuming an old-school fighting position, fists up. As soon as Sir Branford was close enough to swing, Ash immediately ducked, narrowly dodging the would-be heavy blow. Planning to end this section of the test with one single hit like he had done the rest, Ash powered up his fist with Aura, immediately connecting a powerful punch to Sir Branford's abdomen.

Expecting a grunt or groan of some kind, Ash was greatly disappointed (and frightened) to hear a hearty chuckle coming from Sir Branford, followed by the feeling of two manly, calloused hands grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Heheh, if a single punch was enough to make a guy like me keel over, I'd be ashamed to call m'self an Aura Guardian." commented Sir Branford, lifting Ash up.

"Please don't pile-drive me." croaked Ash quietly, his voice still raspy. "This is a hard, unforgiving, tiled floor. The chances of me getting a concussion or worse are disgustingly high. For the literal sake of the world I ask that you reconsider your options-"

Sir Branford prepared to pile-drive Ash, turning the young hero upside down. But before he could go through with his attack, a flash of yellow shot through the air. It was Pikachu, positioning himself for a devastating Iron Tail to Sir Branford's back. But Branford's senses were just as acute as any other Guardian's, allowing him to evade the attack before it landed, with the only consequence being a loosened grip on Ash.

But that was all Ash needed.

As soon as Sir Branford's grip loosened, Ash powered up, the force of his Aura being enough to blow Sir Branford's hands away from him. Ash managed to land on all fours, and without standing, immediately fired a barrage of normal-sized Aura Spheres at Sir Branford. The storm of attacks connected, sending the large man careening painfully towards a nearby wall. After the impact, Sir Branford stood to his feet, but instead of continuing the battle, he smiled and nodded, respect in his eyes.

"Well, ain't that somethin'. That was a damn good maneuver, kid." he complimented, folding his arms. "You've passed my section."

"Fantastic." said Ash dryly, his normal voice beginning to return. "I guess it's just Sir Tobias left."

"Indeed." answered another voice.

Ash and Pikachu turned towards the source of the voice, the area in which their test began. There, they saw Sirs Aaron, Hylus, and Riley standing, having shaken off their injuries at the hands of Ash (except for Sir Hylus, who's left arm was in a sling, confirming that Ash had broken it earlier). Once Sir Branford walked over and joined them, Sir Aaron continued.

"You have done remarkably well against the four of us, Ashton. While we _obviously_ weren't going all-out *rolls eyes suspiciously*, you have proven your keen battle instinct and mastery of Aura. You have proven your worth as both a Master Aura Guardian, and the Chosen Guardian. But in order to save the world, you must prove yourself in one final title. I'm sure you'll be glad to know its the same title you've chased after since your childhood days: Pokemon Master. And the only way to do that is to defeat Sir Tobias in a pokemon battle."

"...What?" asked Ash, frowning. "How does that make me a Pokemon Master? Heck, I didn't even know what being a Pokemon Master actually entailed back when I really wanted to be one. Really it was more of an excuse for my mom to let me leave home at 10 years ol-"

"I suppose it only makes sense that the term 'Pokemon Master' is thrown about in the world of the living, without any actual knowledge of what it means..." sighed Sir Aaron, adjusting his hat. "It's a title that's true meaning faded into history along with the knowledge of Aura Guardians. In actuality, Pokemon Master is a sub-class of Aura Guardian. To be a _true_ Pokemon Master is to gain synergy of the highest level with a pokemon at it's highest possible level of strength, to completely be one with your pokemon on all levels except physical. It is more than forging a simple mental link, Mega-Evolution, or Bond Phenomenon. The Pokemon Masters of history have all been members of the Ketchum Clan, as only one with their innate ability to bond with pokemon could reach such a level. Sir Tobias's bond with his Darkrai makes him a Pokemon Master, and you and your Pikachu must best them in combat."

Ash slowly nodded his head, understanding his task. He had to defeat Sir Tobias in a battle. But this wasn't just a test in his eyes. No no, it was far, _far, FAR_ more. It was a chance he'd been waiting for, a chance he'd been waiting for since his pre-teen days. It was only a test, but it was a personal one.

 _"Pikachu,"_ he thought, a fire in his eyes. _"It's time to get our revenge. For what happened at the Lily of the Valley Conference all those years ago. Let's beat him. Let's beat him proper."_

 ** _"Word."_** answered Pikachu, turning to Ash. **_"We can totally do this, bruh. We ain't had no street smarts back then. But now, we woke. We woke as fuck now."  
_**

"Where do we go?" asked Ash, looking around.

"Keep walking down the hall, and you'll reach a door." answered Sir Riley. "Behind that door is a room where Sir Tobias is waiting. It's a pretty long walk down there, and I know your attention span isn't the best, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Don't get lost, okay?"

"Funny haha. Go f*ck yourself Riley." replied Ash, turning towards the hall.

Sir Riley folded his arms. "Heh, says the guy who I had the misfortune of walking in on while he was mast-"

 _ **"Okayyyyyyyyyyy..."**_ interjected Pikachu, laughing. _**"C'mon Ash, we gotta focus. Don't we got a score to settle?"**_

"Yeah.. yeah we do." grumbled Ash, deciding to begin walking down the hall. As he walked, he looked over his shoulder, scowling at Sir Riley. "You better start writing shit down, because after my battle with Sir Tobias I am going to drop some of the most feral freestyle bars ever conceived on your ass."

"Pfft. White boy Ash? He's always talkin' the trash," muttered Riley under his breath. "I spit the good shit quick, wreck him and his clique. Kid ain't got no swag, no dough to put in the bag, he a broke-ass bitch, and I heard his pet rat was a snitch..."

 _ **"Aw HELL naw!"**_ bellowed a furious Pikachu, sparks flying from his cheeks. _**"BOIIIIIIII,"**_

"YA GANG'S LOOKIN' HELLA WEAK, I GOT MY SQUAD ON FLEEK," roared Ash, turning around on his heels. "WE PULL UP IN THE HOOD, WHOLE STREET ASKIN' WHAT'S GOOD! IM SITTIN' RICH COUNTIN' STACKS, PIKA'S IN THE BACK COOKIN' CRACK! GIVE THE BEAT A RUNBACK, YOU GOT ME SET TO ATTACK! YOUR BARS ARE FUCKIN' WACK, I'M JUST STATIN' THE FACTS! I PULL THE GLOCK OFF THE RACK-"

"Such offensive poetry... created at a moment's notice nonetheless..." commented Sir Aaron in awe. He then tapped the end of his staff on the floor, creating a loud sound that silenced Ash's rhymes. "As impressive as your... extremely competitive poetry is, I'm afraid it must end right this instant. Your test is not finished. Please proceed to the room we've spoken of."

"Right..." answered Ash, reluctantly resuming his walk down the hall.

The four Guardians left behind watched their student depart til his figure vanished in the darkness ahead. Once the sound of his footsteps could be heard no more, Sirs Branford and Hylus departed to their quarters, their presences no longer required. But Sir Aaron and Sir Riley stayed behind, both of them having not moved at all since Ash's departure. There were a few seconds of silence.

"I didn't know you were a bard." said Sir Aaron, quite seriously.

"...what?" asked Riley, eyebrow raised.

"You and Ashton were just speaking in rhyme... rather skillfully."

"Oh, you mean freestyling?" laughed Riley. "Hahahahah, no, I'm not a bard, freestlying is just a hobby that Ash and I have been practicing."

"I see..." replied Sir Aaron, slowly nodding his head. "Might I ask why though? Really, I should ask why do you do any of the silly things you've tended to do with him over the years. The teasing, the roughhousing, all of it... It's unprofessional. Not that I have a problem with it... But you understand why I'm asking, right?"

"There's a reason I do it." answered Riley. "Besides the fact that it's fun, I do it to make sure he's not a social train-wreck when he returns to the real world. It's more important than you think. And, out of us, I'm really the only one that's fit for the job."

"Elaborate please."

"I died relatively recently compared to the rest of us. And I died young, just a few years older than Ash. So naturally, he feels the most comfortable interacting with me. I've purposely formed a brotherly bond with him, as the rest of you are too old to have any relationship with him other than a teacher-student one. If I didn't hang out with, mess with, and have fun with Ash, can you imagine how boring and awkward of a person he'd be after five years of isolation from the world? Yeah, we're with him, but we're not that entertaining of people, and besides me, none of us really understand what the life of a person his age is like in today's society and all. He'd have trouble talking to people, trouble with operating and acting natural in public. But now that I've kept him relatively exposed to things like music, hobbies, and laughter, he wont have too much trouble blending back in... mostly."

"Mostly?"

"He was already pretty bad with girls when he got here... being isolated from the opposite gender for 5 years has undoubtedly only made it worse."

"But if I recall correctly, you were quite a hit with the ladies when you were alive, Sir Riley. You haven't given him any advice?"

"Of course I talked about the basics once or twice: getting consent, the fact that they're usually right, etc... but there isn't much I can do after that. Everyone is different. What I did to attract women wouldn't work if someone like Ash did it. He's gotta figure that stuff out for himself. I'm just afraid that it's going to be a rough road for him."

"Oh don't worry, I'm confident he'll be fine." chuckled Sir Aaron, walking away. "Besides, he's got more important things to focus on, like saving the world from demonic destruction."

"Yeah..." said Riley quietly. "But love is important too. I know those two girls that were with him before we took him really loved him... for his sake, I hope their feelings have stayed somewhat the same..."

* * *

 _[Inside the Tree of Beginning...]_

 _"I really must love him, because now that I'm nearing the end of this search, I'm just now fully realizing there's a high chance that the past 4 years of my life have gone to waste..."_ thought Serena somberly, walking through the Tree of Beginning's crystal lit pathways. _"I left my mother, my home, my life... everything. For Ash. But I know he's somewhere. I'm a... **relatively** reasonable person, I wouldn't have left if there wasn't a good chance of finding him. Yet here I am... a few inches away from being completely out of options... I..."_

Serena paused, her ears picking up a sound behind her. She immediately went into defense mode, one hand immediately unsheathing a knife from her holster while the other grabbed a pokeball off her belt. But before she could protect herself... she realized the sound was just a pebble-sized chunk of rock falling from a wall onto the ground.

Serena glared at the rock.

"I thought this place was supposed to be dangerous for crying out loud..." she grumbled, a little louder than she should have. "I've gotten in here completely unscathed, unpursued, I'd even go as far as to say unnoticed-"

Serena's words were cut off by the sound and sight of Regirock bashing it's way in through a nearby wall, followed by Registeel and Regice. They appeared to be walking in a neat single file, ready to do their jobs. All of them focused their circular eyes on Serena, who's mouth was agape. The 3 golems then raised their arms into the air and hollered, their battle cries echoing throughout the caves.

Serena had never run so fast in her entire life.

"WHAAAAAAAAT THEEEEE HELLLLLLLL-"

* * *

Step by step, Ash delved further into the darkness of the hall before him, Pikachu having climbed onto his shoulder after a couple minutes. Once the hall got too dark to see in, Ash summoned and maintained a flame of Aura in his hand, providing enough blue light to see the next few tiles ahead. The duo had walked in an uncharacteristic silence, one that was kept, until a single observation by Pikachu changed things up drastically. It was an observation both heroes knew as an obvious truth, but at the same time had never really taken the time to think about fully, let alone talk about with each other.

 _ **"After we beat Tobias... we're gonna be sent back to the real world, huh?"**_

"...Yes." answered Ash simply.

 _ **"Boi, you're saying that like we ain't about to reunite with everyone we know and love after 5 damn years of absence..."**_ said Pikachu incredulously. _ **"Brock, Misty, YOUR MOTHER, Gary, Professor Oak... May... Serena... we're gonna see 'em all again, bruh."**_

That did it. Just the mentioning of those last two names was enough to make a rush of chills run through Ash's spine, while a pit began to form in his stomach. He _would_ have to see them again. The thought of reuniting with them was a feeling he couldn't describe in one single word, it was a concoction of many emotions. The recipe called for a touch of excitement, two tablespoons of dread, a dash of fear, and last but not least, a pinch joy. But it was the two tablespoons of dread that he could taste the most in his soul.

He had thought about them often throughout the first year of his training. He'd spent many nights thinking on the matter. He'd expected himself to be able to come up with a decision on which one he truly felt stronger feelings for during his 5 years of absence, but alas, no progress had been made. They both were still perfect, yet different from each other in his eyes, even after all those years.

Serena's golden honey hair... her beautiful sky blue eyes... a smile as warm as the Summer sun itself... she was in every way what he pictured an angel to be. Her personality, while different, clicked so well with his. It was as if she was the missing piece to his puzzle. With her, he felt like anything was possible, like the world was his oyster. She was a ray of sunshine, a flower so fragrant and beautiful that no one really deserved to call it theirs. His feelings for Serena were no less than love, and now, at 22 years of age, he had no problem admitting it.

But May... she was a goddess in her own right. Sapphire eyes that reminded him of the deepest of oceans... a simply adorable, natural, clean aesthetic... and most importantly, a competitive fire within that matched his own. Never had Ash met a girl so much like himself, yet at the same time their own, unique person. She was beautiful to him in so many ways he'd never thought a girl to be beautiful in. May wasn't his first crush (that title belonged to Misty), but she was without a doubt his first _love,_ and it was a love that had never faded... ever. It only seemed to grow.

"I love them both." said Ash aloud, his voice in a monotone.

 _ **"What? ...Wait, are you talking about May and Serena? Is that literally all you got from what I just said?"**_ asked Pikachu, tilting his head. _ **"Oh Arceus, you're ridiculous, you know that? Nothing's changed, has it? Even after all these years, you still haven't made up your mind bro?"**_

"No, I haven't." said Ash, frowning. "And why are you suddenly speaking in perfect grammar again?"

 _ **"Oh uh, I mean... bruh, this ain't no complex shit. Deadass, just pick May. She hunna 'cent bae material. Team May all the way. Deuces."**_

"And Serena isn't?"

 _ **"I mean she got a nice ass but-"**_

"You sound like Gary. To be honest, as long as a girl has an attractive face and good personality I could care less about their body. But if you wanna talk in those aspects, May's...upper half is just as extraordinary as Serena's lower. And both of them are average in the opposite departments, so really, they're equal in that sense. But, like I said, that's not really my priority. It's their personalities... They're both completely different from each other, yet somehow both of them just... give me butterfrees inside."

 ** _"Boiiii, you are one CORNY motherfucker..."_** commented Pikachu, shaking his head. ** _"You can't love 2 girls though. That's not how it works. They can't both be 'the one'."_**

"And you're calling _me_ the corny one?" Asked Ash, raising an eyebrow. "You _really_ think that there's only _one_ match for everyone? There's billions of people in the world. If you honestly believe in the concept of a 'soulmate', then you're just as cheesy as me for saying they give me butterfrees inside, maybe cheesier."

 _ **"Look, regardless of the cheese factor, I'm speakin' the truth. If you go back into the world tryna wife up both of them, ya finna lose 'em both."**_

"Who said I was going to do that?" snapped Ash, pausing his walk for a second. "I... I'm not gonna do anything. We're supposed to be saving the world when we get back, remember? Girls are in no way, shape, or form our priority. And really, I don't know if I'm gonna visit anyone til _after_ we get the job done, because on the off chance we die in battle, right after returning from the what they think is the dead, it'll just be... messed up. They already think we're dead anyway, so let's keep it that way til after we defeat Master Brecht."

 _ **"Are you sure that's the right thing to do?"**_

"It's the necessary thing to do." said Ash, resuming his walk.

As he continued forward, a door became visible in the darkness ahead. It was time to end the conversation and get serious. Seeing the door as well, Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder, landing at his partner's feet. They had reached the door. The duo looked at each other, both of them sporting serious game-faces. All their work for the past 5, no, the past _12_ years, was leading up to this moment. Either Ash left the room a Pokemon Master... or a failure.

He took a deep breath, nodded, and pushed the door open, revealing a large room, with flame-lit torches lining the walls. The light from the torches shined off the blue and black tiled floor, the flames casting similar reflections of their dances onto the tiles. The rough stone walls bore no windows, giving the room a rather suffocating feel. All the way at the end of the room stood Sir Tobias, a single pokeball in hand. His ever-stern gaze was fixed on Ash, who returned the look with a determined stare.

Ash and Pikachu stepped into the room, and immediately realized... it was no normal room.

Their footsteps produced no sound. A shallow gasp escaped Ash's mouth... but it was silent. Ash looked at Pikachu, who was looking around, seeming to be noticing the lack of sound as well.

 _"Pikachu,"_ he thought, resorting to their mental link. _"there's no sound in here..."_

Pikachu continued to look around, unaware of Ash's words.

"Pikachu?"

Ash froze. Not even his voice made any noise, and he had definitely felt his vocal chords vibrate.

 _"Pikachu! Pikachu can you hear me?"_

Nothing. Pikachu began to clap his paws together, desperately trying to produce any sort of noise. He then gazed at Ash, as if he was about to say something. But Ash heard nothing, neither in his head, nor in actual sound. Pikachu continued to stare at Ash, as if he was waiting for him to say something. But no such effort was made. The pair then had a confusion-fueled staring contest, until both sets of eyes widened. The realization of what needed to be done hit them both at the same time. The absolute synergy Sir Aaron spoke of... was being able to battle with no way of communication... at all. They both blinked, both coming to a silent, mutual understanding.

From the corners of their eyes, they saw a flash of white light, and suddenly, Sir Tobias's Darkrai was present, not a single sound coming from the pokeball. Sir Tobias then silently unsheathed a thin double-edged sword from the scabbard attached to his waist and charged towards Ash and Pikachu, his faithful Pitch-Black Pokemon following close behind. An azure glow adorned his irises, an image mirrored by the eyes of Ash, who, alongside Pikachu, readied himself for what was surely to be the hardest battle of his life.

* * *

It was moments like these where Serena was immensely thankful for the impeccable state of fitness her body was in. After 4 years of living in the great outdoors, every aspect of her body was at its peak. She was no amazon warrior, but she definitely wasn't a damsel in distress. It was thanks to this physique that she was able to maintain her all out sprint away from the three Regi-golems for as long as she did. But eventually, even the strongest of Rapidashes grew weary. Her legs were beginning to burn, and her breaths became more and more labored.

As she slowed down to a jog, she looked over her shoulder; they were gone... or at least very far behind.

"I guess I... *exhale* ... lost them..." she panted, slowing down to a walk. "So the Regis are here... just like the book said they'd be... but what about the..."

Serena trailed off, a new phenomenon gaining her attention. An orange glow began to emanate from the path ahead, along with a strange, unnerving noise. Serena's eyes widened as a mysterious orange substance in the form of an absurdly large Feraligatr approached from the shadows.

"...white blood cells." she finished, quickly snatching a pokeball off her belt. "Sylveon, let's go! Moonblast!"

Serena threw the ball, and in a dazzling flash, her Sylveon was there, immediately charging up the pink sphere of moon energy. Serena readied herself for the next phase of her maneuver, which relied on Sylveon's attack connecting.

"Aim for the center!" ordered Serena level-headedly.

"Sylveon!" shouted Sylveon, shooting the Moonblast.

As soon as the attack was shot, Serena dashed towards the white blood cell. The Moonblast hit the center of the Feraligatr-shaped substance, creating a rather large hole in it. Like a Liepard hunting it's ill-fated prey, Serena lunged through the hole, landing with a forward roll. Once on her feet again, she immediately turned around and shot the return beam of her pokeball through the hole, retrieving Sylveon right before the hole closed up. Then, she ran.

 _"Now **this** is what I expected to deal with coming here..." _ she thought, adrenaline rushing. _"Okay, I'm pretty sure that I can survive in here. As long as I don't get cornered, I can deal with anything, whether it be the white blood cells or the golems... I'm trying to get to the deepest part of this place - the heart - before turning back. I'm already pretty deep in... I should be close... I think."_

* * *

"Hm."

Having retreated to his own quarters after his talk with Sir Riley, Sir Aaron was now alone. Leaning against the wall of his room, arms crossed, he frowned slightly. Something interesting was transpiring. This feeling he had... he hadn't experienced it in quite a while. It was a sixth sense of sorts that he had gained after his heroic death hundreds of years ago.

"The Tree of Beginning..." he murmured, swallowing the piece of chocolate he had been chewing. "Someone's in it again... and... oh my..."

Sir Aaron's frown then turned to a smile, sensing who was in the tree. Just then, the door to his room opened. A familiar Lucario rushed in, a frantic look on its face.

 _ **"Master, I sense-"**_

"I sense it too, Lucario. It's amazing, her timing could not have been more spot-on... Perhaps _too_ spot-on... I don't think they're finished with the test yet..." noted Sir Aaron, removing himself from the wall. He then grabbed his staff. "We must alert the others... It seems that tonight's the night. But first... we should help."

* * *

 _"This can't keep going on like this."_

It was madness. It was BS. But most of all, it was annoying. Things were not going well for Ash, who currently found his body aching and shivering from enduring multiple Dark Pulses and Ice Beams from Tobias's Darkrai. It wasn't like he and Pikachu weren't putting up a fight; they were, and a damn good one at that. Though Darkrai wasn't very damaged at all, Sir Tobias's cloak was singed in multiple places due to nasty hits from Pikachu's thunder attacks. But the momentum was impossible to keep, and now, less than 15 minutes into their battle, Ash and Pikachu found themselves unable to abandon the defensive.

All while unable to communicate.

It was as if Tobias and Darkrai were a well-oiled machine, able to work perfectly together in every sense. Ash and Pikachu, who weren't exactly terrible at the "no contact" gimmick themselves, were barely able to keep up half the time. Some of their combos worked, but Ash had come to realize things were running on 50/50 chances each time. Sometimes Pikachu picked up on what he wanted to do, but sometimes the yellow mouse was completely lost regarding what to do next. They were slowly getting more and more in sync, but it was taking time. And time wasn't a luxury they had when dealing with Tobias and Darkrai's relentless attacks.

But suddenly, after some hard thinking, a golden idea appeared in Ash's mind. It was uncertain whether this idea was going to end the battle, but it would at the very least provide a reset to the situation. He was just hoping Pikachu was able to follow his lead. It required Sir Tobias and Darkrai to attack first, which wouldn't be too hard considering that was all they were doing for the past 5 minutes. Ash waited, gripping his staff tightly. Part of the reason they hadn't made any true progress was Sir Tobias's excellent job at keeping Darkrai out of harm's way. If this plan succeeded, then the Pitch-Black pokemon, as well as Tobias, would finally take some real damage.

Ash looked at Pikachu, who was a couple feet away from him, icy frost coating sections of his fur. Pikachu looked back, and Ash's look alone was enough to tell Pikachu to come closer. Pikachu did just that, using Quick Attack to safely position himself by Ash's feet. Together, they waited, and as expected, Sir Tobias was in action a split second after the waiting began.

From behind Darkrai, Sir Tobias leaped high into the air. As he jumped, Darkrai charged yet another Ice Beam, this one looking to be more potent than the previous ones. Right as Darkrai fired the blast, Tobias landed on it, the ice immediately encroaching his feet. The thick beam shot forward with Tobias, sword in hand, riding it with ease. The blast - and by circumstance, Sir Tobias - approached at breakneck speed, a truly terrifying sight. However, Ash was ready to act. He quickly formed a wall of Aura large enough to deflect the incoming blast, giving it a 45 degree angle upwards. Sir Tobias saw this, but by the time he had, there was nothing that could be done. The Ice Beam, carrying him with it, was deflected straight up to the ceiling.

Pikachu looked up, realizing what was to be done next.

With a silent battle cry, Pikachu unleashed a powerful Thunder, the black mini-clouds forming right around Sir Tobias as he made contact with ceiling. But right as the brutal bolt came crashing down, carrying Sir Tobias down with it, Ash did something that Pikachu hadn't expected: he _kicked_ Pikachu, sending the rodent straight towards Darkrai. As annoying as being kicked by his own partner was, Pikachu took advantage of the unexpected move. As soon as he regained control of his movement, he used the momentum from Ash's kick to augment the speed of his next attack: Volt Tackle. It was a critical hit, sending the Pitch-Black Pokemon rolling across the room.

Meanwhile, Sir Tobias lay dizzy at Ash's feet, arcs of static electricity crawling around his body.

* * *

"These things just don't *gasp* let up, do they?" muttered Serena, watching as the orange light of more white blood cells could be seen ahead. "They're showing up *exhale* more and more frequently, which, in a perfect world, *inhale* means I'm getting closer to the center..."

The past few minutes had been a gauntlet of truly strenuous proportions for Serena. The white blood cells had been relentless, constantly pursuing her. Sylveon had already run out of Moonblasts, leaving the escape combos to Braixen's Fire Blasts. But the 火-shaped holes of Fire Blast were far more difficult to lunge through than the circular ones of Moonblast, leading to a few close calls and scraped knees along the way. Serena's body was beginning to ache, but she knew she had to keep moving. If she didn't, she'd be eaten.

Deciding to take a turn onto a nearby path instead of engaging the blood cells, Serena stopped to catch her breath a little. But unfortunately, the path she had taken led to an unwelcome, familiar sound: the alien-like cries of the Regis. Serena sighed; she really had been overdue for trouble from the trio, as she hadn't seen or heard from them since her initial encounter about 20 minutes earlier. Thinking it unwise to get closer to them, Serena turned around to the direction she had came from. Orange light was glowing in the distance, causing her to freeze up. Both ways had danger ahead.

She had trapped herself.

"Crap."

* * *

Sir Aaron briskly jogged through the Corridors of the Aura, his faithful Lucario following close behind.

"We must contact Mew with our Aura, Lucario." he said, making a left into the next hall. "The white blood cells in the Tree of Beginning will attack anything that's not a pokemon or full-fledged Aura Guardian, which means our young heroine will surely be devoured if Mew doesn't call them off."

 _ **"But Master, forging a mental-link with a legendary pokemon currently in the real world, a different plane of existence, will require an immeasurable amount of Aura. Even with our strength combined, I don't know if we can do it alon-"**_

"Relax. We're not forming a permanent one. Just long enough for us to get the message across. Besides, we're the only ones here that can do it, none of the other Guardians here have any real connection to the Tree of Beginning, nor do they have any type of bond with Mew. Believe in the Aura, alright?"

 _ **"Yes, Master."**_

The pair sped up their jog to a run until they reached a large room, with a clear sphere in the center. Both of them rushed to the sphere, Sir Aaron methodically tapping certain areas of the sphere until slowly, colors began to appear and swirl within it. Different shades of blue, teal, beige, and orange began to dance around, until a picture began to form. A honey-blonde girl could be seen, appearing to be thinking very hard. At the right edge of the picture, a faint orange glow could be seen, while at the far left corner, the colors of the three Regi-golems appeared.

"We must work quickly." declared Sir Aaron, tapping the sphere a couple more times.

The picture then swirled away, a new one forming: Mew, sleeping next to one of the many crystals that decorated the tree's interior. Sir Aaron looked from the picture to Lucario, and the two of them nodded. With closed eyes, they both laid their hands on the sphere, channeling their Aura into it. Both let out labored sighs through grit teeth as they channeled more and more Aura into the sphere. Sir Aaron slowly cracked an eye open, and much to his satisfaction, Mew could be seen waking up.

"Keep it up, Lucario!" he grunted, closing his eyes again. "Mew, can you hear my voice?!"

Nothing.

"Mew! Hello?! Can you hear me?!" he asked again, his voice growing coarse.

At this point, Lucario could do no more, his average Aura levels falling dangerously low. With a deep yelp he removed his paws from the sphere, falling on his back. He was out of breath, with barely enough energy to open his eyes.

 _ **"Master... I'm sorry-"**_

 _"Good work Lucario..."_ rang Sir Aaron's voice in Lucario's mind. _"You_ _just rest, I can take it from here."_

Sir Aaron then began to power up, putting the massive Aura reserves he inherited with the blood of his clan to use. He could feel himself getting light-headed, but knew he had to keep pushing at this point. This time, he wasn't just trying to save a single kingdom from destruction. He was trying to do his part in helping save the entire world. He'd keep on going even if it dealt him his second and final death, a death that would release what was left of his Aura into the world, leaving no trace of his soul in any realm or reality.

"Mew!" he yelled.

 _ **"...Sir Aaron?"**_ sounded a new, soft voice.

"Yes!" cried Sir Aaron in relief, managing to smile as he continued to pour more of his Aura into the sphere. At this point, his whole body was in burning pain. "Yes, it's me! Long time no... Agh, see! I... need you... Ungh! I need you to... call off..."

 _ **"My tree!"**_ cried Mew. _ **"Someone's in it! Hold on Sir Aaron my dear, I must send more white blood cells, there's someone in my tree-"**_

"No! Call off the cells! That person in the tree is on our... agh, side! They're looking for... Ash Ketchum! Please, don't let the cells... devour her! And.. if you *cough* could, lead her to the center! It's very important that she gets to the heart!"

 ** _"I don't know... the last time I did that, the tree went into shock almost died. Are you sure? That she can be trusted?"_**

"YES!" bellowed Sir Aaron, unable to hold the link any longer. He removed his hands from the sphere, falling to the ground. The sphere returned to being crystal clear, Mew's image vanishing from it. Lucario, having recovered enough strength to walk, rushed to Sir Aaron's side. Sir Aaron smiled. "I'm alright... Mew was worried about the tree going into shock like it did when you were there last time... but the circumstances are different now, the blood cells haven't eaten anyone yet. Everything should be fine. Now, if you could help me up, we must ready ourselves for Ash's departure. You especially."

Lucario nodded.

* * *

Serena grabbed all three pokeballs off her belt, planning a last-ditch effort to get out of her current situation. She threw them into the air, releasing the creatures inside: Braixen, Sylveon, and her recently evolved Pangoro. All three pokemon looked at their leader, waiting for command. Serena sighed.

"We're in a tough spot, guys." she said, looking at each of them. "We're about to be cornered, but we've never given up whenever we thought we were doomed in the past, so why give up now? You know our motto; never give up til the end. Let's do this."

All three pokemon vocalized their compliances, readying themselves to fight.

"That's the spirit." beamed Serena, proud of her pokemon's attitudes towards the slim odds. "Alright, Pangoro and Sylveon, you guys go over there and get ready to do whatever it takes to get those golems out of the way. Our only way out of this is to get past them. Braixen, I'll need you to keep the blood cells at bay for as long as you possibly can."

All three pokemon nodded, rushing to their battle stations. As they did, Serena clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, taking many deep breaths. She had come too far for this to be the end. She had to make it to the center, she just had to. The sound of Pangoro's roar caused her to open her eyes. The golems had arrived, ready to fight. Registeel was the first to attack, shooting a Zap Cannon directly at Pangoro. But before the attack hit, Sylveon cast Protect over Pangoro, saving the large bear from harm. Pangoro then retaliated with a Bullet Punch, knocking the steel titan over. Meanwhile, the white blood cells had arrived as well, but they were met with the most intense flames Braixen had ever put out.

But none of it was enough.

Serena watched helplessly as the white blood cells pushed through Braixen's flames. She looked to her right, and much to her horror, saw Regice and Regirock grab Pangoro. The Daunting Pokemon attempted to free itself from their grasp, but it's resistance proved futile; the golems were simply stronger. Sylveon looked back at Serena, a desperate look in the Fairy-type's eyes. But Serena could only look back with a look just as desperate. There was nothing left she could do. But her look of desperation turned to one of absolute horror when Registeel, who had recovered from Pangoro's attack, set it's sights on Sylveon. The metal monster approached the smaller pokemon, fist in the air, preparing to crush the eeveelution.

"No..." whimpered Serena, true fear beginning to set in. She ran towards the Intertwining Pokemon, unable to stop tears from clouding her vision. "NOOOOOOOOO!"

Serena landed in time, tightly wrapping her body around her beloved pokemon. She closed her eyes tight and waited for the pain that surely ensued, realizing her long, love-inspired journey was to come to a brutal, bloody end...

...

But alas, not all was as it seemed. Unaware of the mystical, magical, all-powerful force known as plot-armor, Serena had begun to wonder why nothing had happened yet. No pain, nothing. She opened a single cyan eye, looking up. Indeed, Registeel was still above her, and she was still in the crystal caves of the Tree of Beginning... but something was different. The crystals had taken on a new color, a color slightly different from their usual blue tint: green. All three Regi-golems looked up and around at the green crystals about, fully aware of what the color meant: leave the girl alone.

Completely confused, Serena watched as the all three titans grouped up, released Pangoro from their hold, and left, suddenly seeming to care less about her. She then looked over her shoulder, and saw the white blood cells retreat into the crystals, no longer perceiving her as a threat.

"What in the world..." whispered Serena, shakily standing to her feet.

The crystals then returned to the normal blue color, save for a certain few. The ones on the ceiling turned another color, a color that greatly contrasted the blue ones: pink. The dazzling pink light seemed to be leading her in a specific direction, as the crystals on the ceiling of the path behind her were still the default blue. Even though she could still feel her heart beating and was unable to stop shaking, Serena's lips curved into a small smile.

"...Let's keep moving." she said, regaining her composure. "These pink crystals have to be leading us somewhere. Something tells me... that what just happened was no coincidence. Something.. or someone, just helped us. Sylveon, Pangoro, Braixen, return!"

* * *

Ash watched as Sir Tobias struggled to stand up, the shock from Pikachu's direct Thunder causing painful muscle spasms all over his body. Tobias slowly reached for his sword, which was nearby on the floor. But before he could grab it, Ash picked it up, tossed it into the closest corner of the room, and looked Tobias dead in the eye, mouthing only two words:

 _"It's over."_

Tobias smirked, a very uncommon action. He then reached into what was left of his cloak, pulling out a second sword from what seemed like thin air. He slashed upwards, but his surprise attack was met by Ash's staff.

 _"I. Win."_ mouthed Ash, pushing Tobias's blade back.

Tobias looked over his shoulder and saw his Darkrai leaned against the wall, struggling to move. It was paralyzed from the Volt Tackle. He closed his eyes, accepting that Ash, for lack of a better term, had him beat. The tide of the battle had changed so quickly... Of course, the battle could have continued, but it was clear that the test he was giving his student had been passed. But perhaps just one more, small attempt...

Sir Tobias charged an Aura Sphere in his hand, but before he could launch it, Ash slapped Sir Tobias's hand in the direction of Darkrai, sending the ball of life-energy whizzing straight towards the paralyzed Dark-type. The super-effective move hit Darkrai square in the chest, further weakening the mythical pokemon. Sir Tobias glared at Ash, eyes narrow.

 _"Alright seriously,"_ mouthed Ash, still pushing Tobias's second sword back with his staff. At this point, it was getting dangerously close to Tobias's face. _"just give up."_

* * *

No longer having to deal with legendary pokemon or white blood cells, Serena leisurely followed the pink crystals until finally, she could follow them no more. The room she had been lead to was a large one, with many crystals decorating the walls and ceiling. It was, without a doubt, the largest cavern she'd encountered in the tree so far, and judging by the looks of it, there probably wasn't one bigger than this one. In the center was a gargantuan crystal, with a large wisp-like beam of energy connecting it to another large crystal embedded in the ceiling.

"This is the heart..." she muttered, in awe of the beauty of the room.

She spotted small, flower-like crystals at the base of the large crystal. They had to be some of the most majestic things she'd ever laid eyes upon. The spiral like form... the shimmering surface... they were impossible not to touch. She knelt beside the closest one, delicately placing her hand on it. As soon as she did, however, the flower began to morph and distort, along with the air around it. The distortion continued in a wave, casting a gray tint over everything.

 _"You who bear the right to activate the time flowers, listen to my words."_

Serena nearly jumped out of her skin, the voice startling her. She looked around, and much to her confusion, a man colored in gray-scale entered the room, through the very same entrance that she did. A chill ran through Serena's spine; she had seen this man before. It was him, the one who had appeared on that fateful day 5 years ago, the one who had taken Ash from her, right before her very eyes.

"T-Tobias?" she stammered, standing to her feet. When she saw the body that was in Tobias's arms, a feeling she hadn't felt in the longest of times was felt within; the joy of love. "ASH!"

Serena sprinted to Tobias's image and reached for Ash's unconscious body in the Guardian's arms. But instead of touching the face she had dreamed of touching for so long... her hands passed right through both Ash and Tobias, the latter walking right through Serena, as if she wasn't there. Serena turned around, absolutely puzzled as to what just happened.

 _"You who bears the right to activate the time flowers, bears the right to release this young man, the Chosen Guardian, from his slumber."_ spoke Tobias's image, walking to the large crystal in the center of the room. He placed Ash on the ground next to it before continuing. _"The will of Arceus has led you, whoever you are, here. Five years shall have passed when this message is to be delivered. The time has come for his awakening."_

Serena watched as Tobias placed his hand on the crystal, which began to glow. He then picked Ash up, and positioned Ash's unconscious body right in front of the crystal. With a just a gentle push, he sent the Trainer _into_ the crystal, the crystal seeming to pull Ash in as soon as contact was made. Serena's eyes widened, coming to a general understanding of what was going on. She was watching an event that had already occurred. The crystal flower - Tobias called it a Time Flower - she had touched... seemed to be showing her the past.

 _"To release this young fool,"_ began Tobias. _"You must simply-"_

 _"Pikapi!"_ sounded Pikachu, dashing into the room.

The yellow mouse ran right through Serena, lunging for Tobias. Without even looking back, Tobias ducked, causing Pikachu to leap straight into the crystal, vanishing.

 _"...To release THESE young fools,"_ corrected Tobias, his voice holding a hint of aggravation. _"You must place your chosen hands on this very crystal, just as I have done. May the Aura be your guiding light in the dark times ahead. Farewell."_

Tobias's image then faded out of existence, everything in the room returning to vivid color soon after. Serena looked at her own hands, and then at the crystal. She took a few steps closer, her breaths becoming labored out of sheer emotion. Now that she got a better look at the crystal... she could see that there were two faint silhouettes deep inside, one human sized, the other much smaller. She smiled the happiest smile she'd smiled in a long time, her eyes watering.

"I've finally... found you."

She placed her trembling hands on the crystal.

* * *

Sir Tobias let out a silent sigh, his lips curving into another uncharacteristic smile. He removed a ball from his belt, aimed it at Darkrai, and returned the pokemon, accepting his "defeat" at the hands of Ash and Pikachu. At the sight of this, Ash removed his staff from Tobias's sword. The staff mystically reverted back to a smaller length as Ash returned it to it's holder on his back. Pikachu made his way back to Ash, climbing up to his trainer's shoulder.

It was over.

"Ashton!" shouted a voice from behind him, startling both him and Sir Tobias.

Ash turned around to see a tired-looking Sir Aaron, with Sir Riley, Sir Branford, and Sir Hylus behind him. Right as Ash began to wonder how he could hear Sir Aaron's voice, he saw that Sir Aaron's hand was on a switch, the same type that's used to turn on lights in a modern home. All the Guardians had urgent looks on their faces.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Ash, hearing his own voice. "There was a light switch that controlled the sound in here? How does that even work-"

"No time for explanations, bucko!" interrupted Sir Branford. "Take a look at yerself!"

"What...?" asked Ash, looking down at his body. It was... _fading._ "Oh."

* * *

As soon as her hands came into contact with the crystal, it began to glow. A tingling sensation rippled through Serena'a arms and into her body, causing her to wince slightly. The silhouettes within slowly became more and more defined.

"Ash... Pikachu..." she whispered.

* * *

"It appears the fated time has come." observed Sir Tobias, now standing. "Your soul is returning to the world of the living."

"I'm going back?" asked Ash, frantically turning to Tobias. "Right now?! But I'm not ready! ...Right?"

"Yes, you are." answered Tobias, a hint of pride in his voice. "You have been trained well. We have nothing more to teach you, and Master Brecht's seal will be broken any day now. You leave here a Master Aura Guardian... and a Pokemon Master."

"But... _I'm_ not ready." argued Ash, his voice starting to gain an echo. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do! Where do I even find Master Brecht, and how do I save the world?!"

"Trust in your skills, the Aura," started Sir Aaron, walking towards Ash. He had a pokeball in hand. "and an old friend. In this ball is my Lucario, the same one that you helped save the Tree of Beginning years ago. He will aid you in your journey, alongside the Fellowship."

"The Fellowship?" asked Ash confusedly. "What fellowship?!"

All the Guardians were silent for a second, with the only sound heard being Sir Hylus face-palming.

"Shhhhhit!" swore Sir Riley, stomping his foot on the floor. "We forgot to tell him about the Fellowship of the Aura!"

* * *

Once the silhouettes became as defined as could be, color and detail started to form on them, yellow on the small one, and tan on the large one. Serena's heart skipped a beat when z-shaped birth marks appeared on the larger one's face.

* * *

"Alright kiddo," started Sir Branford quickly. "If you were thinkin' you and your Pikachu could save the world alone, you were way wrong. The first thing you gotta do when you get to the world of the livin', before _any_ world savin', is locate a select few chosen people to help ya on yer quest. You, as the Chosen Guardian, must lead those Chosen Ones as the leader of the Fellowship of the Aura."

"How do I find them?!" shouted Ash, his masters' voices becoming harder to hear.

"They'll have a mark," answered Sir Tobias.

"The Mark of the Fellowship!" continued Sir Aaron. "It'll appear on their forehead for a couple seconds, when their Aura reacts to being in close proximity to yours,"

"And it'll be any number from 1 to 7, as the prophecy foretells there will be 7 Chosen Ones to aid you!" finished Sir Riley. "That's literally all we know! So goodbye, man... if you can even hear me anymore... just know It's been pretty fun having you around! Good luck! May the Aura be with you!"

"Wait! Riley! How can I contact you guys while I'm in the real world?! Is dying the only way I can come back here?!" called Ash, his vision beginning to fade as well. No answer came from his fellow Aura Guardians. Their images became fuzzy puffs at this point, having lost shape as he and Pikachu's souls crossed dimensions. "Hello?!"

 _ **"I don't think we're in the Corridors anymore, bruh..."**_ said Pikachu softly. _**"I don't know WHERE we are..."**_

Ash looked around. The familiar structure of the Corridors of the Aura had faded away, replaced by pure light blue nothingness...

"We're on our way back... to life." replied Ash quietly.

* * *

 _[Petalburg City]_

A pair of sapphire eyes opened, quickly darting around in many directions. Brown hair was promptly brushed out of their way, improving their vision. May Maple's alert eyes gazed out the window, only to see the dark Petalburg skyline. She then looked at the clock; 9:13pm. She slowly got out of bed, eyebrows furrowed. She slowly walked towards the window, staring at the stars above with a look that could only be described as a blank one. Something was... happening. This feeling, the feeling that woke her from her sleep... it wasn't the first time she'd felt it either. But the last time she had felt it was when...

Max suddenly entered the room, a perturbed look on his face.

"You feel it too?" he asked, approaching his sister. He stood next to her, looking at the stars as well. "It's a powerful Aura... i think. But it's not close. It's far away. But the fact that I can feel it from here... and the fact that you can feel it too, and you don't even know how to use your Aura... it's crazy. Whoever it is must be powerful."

"It's like the feeling I got before... before Tobias took... Ash." replied May, placing her hands on her windowsill. "But it feels _different_. Less suffocating, and more... warm."

* * *

The two figures moved closer and closer to Serena, until finally, they fell out of the giant crystal, the larger one landing directly on her. Raven hair tangled with blonde, and there were now not one, but two people in the cavern. Serena's eyes opened to find a pair of long-missed brown ones staring back, both of the young adults wide-eyed and silent. Neither knew what to do. Both were paralyzed by the very real fact that they were looking into each other's eyes and feeling each other's body heat. Pikachu landed on the ground nearby, tumbling a couple feet away from them. Once he stopped rolling, he stood to his feet, his black eyes slowly opening. Upon seeing what he saw, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

 _ **"Great..."**_ he grumbled, walking towards Ash and Serena, who still had not moved. _**"There goes my OTP."**_

Serena's already watery eyes began to leak tears, a smile slowly creeping across her face. Ash stared back, his mouth slightly open in awe. But he wasn't staring at Serena's mesmerizing eyes anymore... his eyes were fixed on her forehead.

Because on it, in a jagged, archaic font... was a blue, glowing number 3.

* * *

 **Well, that's that. I suppose the true story has officially begun now that Ash is finished with his training. I plan on having the next chapter pick up right where this one left off.**

 **Bye,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all! DarkSlash9 here with another chapter of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura! Look at me, not taking an eon to update! I'm proud of myself. Anyway, last time, Serena had just freed Ash from his slumber, and as soon as she did, the Mark of the Fellowship appeared on her! Ain't that wonderful? This chapter picks up right where the last left off, so let's see what happens! :D**

 **Q &A**

awesomeandroidyt

Why does Ash have a crush on Serena and not on May? In your other story Ash liked May.

 **Answer: This story isn't meant to be the exact same as the first. Ash likes both of them in this story.**

TheYummyDonut

Are you going to explain why May is medication dependent?

 **Answer: Of course! It's coming, just not in this chapter. Probably not the next either.**

 **Alright, enjoy chapter 7!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I honestly don't know why I still do this, lol.**

* * *

 **VII**

* * *

 _[The heart of the Tree of Beginning...]_

Ash stared at the glowing number, stonefaced. In seconds it faded away, returning Serena's forehead to normal. He looked back down at Serena's watering eyes, and never had he seen tears filled with more joy. It was amazing, he thought; so much about her had physically changed, yet her eyes had stayed the same. Still blue, and still beautiful. Her hair was long again, perhaps even longer than it was before she cut it back in the day. He preferred it that way, her long hair had always given her a more angelic look in his opinion. Her face had become more of an adult's, any and all remaining baby-fat gone without a trace. Ash hadn't felt it in 5 years, but he knew the burning sensation on his cheeks meant he was blushing. Serena had changed. She wasn't a girl anymore, she was a _woman_.

And he was on top of her.

"Uh, uh uhhh..." stammered Ash, averting his eyes from Serena's. "I, uhh..."

 ** _"Uh duh hadurrrrrrr,"_** mimicked an annoyed Pikachu, walking over. _**"Shut up and talk, man."**_

"It really _is_ you... Ash Ketchum..." said Serena, her voice shaky. She looked at Pikachu as well, who stared back with mild interest. "and Pikachu..."

 _ **"Girl, you better hit that SHARP Rainbow Road swerve. Your pretty face not boutta make me turn my back on my roots."**_ answered Pikachu. _**"Team May all the wa-"**_

 _"Pikachu. Shut it."_ ordered Ash, via mental link. He then returned his attention to Serena. "Hey... Sere-"

"ASH!" cried the honey-blonde, pulling the young Aura Guardian into a hug.

Serena's embrace forced Ash's head to rest on her shoulder, and vice versa. At first, she said nothing, simply holding him in her arms and enjoying the fact that she could feel his body heat. But after a few seconds, Ash and Pikachu began to hear full sobs and sniffles. Her hold around Ash loosened as she broke down right under of the heroes she had spent years searching for.

"You're alive... you're here... I... I can _touch_ you! You're here, you're real! It's... it's not just another dream this time..." sobbed Serena, hiccuping between many of her words. "Ash Ketchum, if you just knew h-how things fell apart after you left! You took so much with you, _so much_! The whole world, all of us thought you we're gone! You don't know how much this means to see you here, alive! When you left... I just couldn't... I fell apart, and we _all_ did, but I-I... I just couldn't go on without you, Ash! I couldn't pick myself back up! Everyone went back to normal life after a while, b-but how could I? I couldn't even _try_ to understand how they could go back! You left such a void in me, I've felt so cold, and so empty. B-but now... for the first time in years... I don't anymore. I've spent years on my own, searching, and finally... it's over. You're here... you're older... you're an Aura Guardian..."

Ash's eyes widened at that last part, causing him to finally get off Serena and stand up.

"You know? That I'm a Guardian?" he asked, befuddled. "How?"

Ash put a hand forward to help Serena get up. The honey blonde accepted the help, but only after wiping some of the tears off her face. Once they were both standing, Serena spoke up.

"Yes. I do." she answered, sniffling. "Right now, your appearance is very... Guardian-like."

"My appearance...?" asked Ash, turning to a nearby crystal. His eyes widened. "Oh my god."

In the reflection of the crystal, Ash saw himself. He was in his usual Aura Guardian attire, but his face was a different story. Though far from being unrecognizable, it was considerably different from how he had looked in the Corridors. During his training he'd grown taller, more muscular, and his voice had gotten deeper. But apparently, in the real world, a bushy beard (mustache included) and hair flowing down to his shoulders had grown as well. Ash felt his face, white teeth contrasting black whiskers in the form of a huge grin. He turned to Pikachu, who didn't seem nearly as excited.

"Feelin' little itchy, feelin' little weird, feelin' hella manly, 'cuz now I got a beard. Never copped the Rogaine, grew this on another plane-"

 _ **"Nah. Not not the time."**_ interrupted Pikachu, nodding towards Serena.

 _"Right."_ thought Ash, returning his full, serious attention to the honey-blonde. "Is my appearance the only thing that told you?"

"No... I've known for a while now..." revealed Serena, trying her best to ignore Ash's... _bars_. "I spent a lot of time reading up on Aura Guardians and their history before I set out to find you. I concluded you were alive by combining my memories of what happened when you left with what I learned from my research. You're the Chosen Guardian."

"Well uh, yes. Yes I am." answered Ash, scratching the back of his head. He didn't expect her to hit the nail square on the head like that. "And, uh, you know what that entails, right?"

"You're going to save the world..." said Serena, turning towards the room's exit. She sighed, knowing where this was going. "You have to defeat that guy - I'm coming up blank on his name -, who's seal is broken or should be breaking any day now. It's probably going to be an extremely perilous quest filled with numerous trials and tribulations. A journey completely unsafe for anyone other than a full-fledged Aura Guardian..."

"Yeah... about that..." chuckled a nervous Ash. "You're totally right, but there's more to it. I'm actually _not_ supposed to do it alone. My masters, right as I was leaving, said that I'd need to gather a group of Chosen Ones to aid me in a group that would be called the Fellowship of the Aura. They said 7 people would be in The Fellowship, and I'd know who they were because their Aura would react to being near me, causing a number to appear on their forehead. And it just so happened that when I fell out of the crystal..."

Serena turned around, her eyes meeting Ash's. Ash smiled.

"There was a 3 on your head." he finished.

"I'm a part of it...?" she asked, honestly shocked. "Really? But I don't have any powers or anything. How would I be of any help? Like, at all?"

"Only the Aura knows." answered Ash, materializing his black staff out of his Aura. "But I've come to learn it's never wrong, so I'm sure you're just selling yourself short in some way. You got here, didn't you? Not many people can make it into the heart of the Tree of Beginning looking as... _alive_ as you do. You've got something special about you, and I need you if I want to be able to save the world. So, will you join me, Serena? It'll be like another adventure... but with, y'know, actual stakes."

"I... Of course I will." answered Serena with conviction. "I'll help in any way I can."

"Alright, then! I guess you're part of the team...? I hereby declare you a member of the squad...? I'm not entirely sure how to make this official-"

 ** _"Touch her forehead with the end of the staff."_**

Both Ash and Pikachu looked around, both hearing the voice echo in their shared mind. It was a familiar one.

 _"Lucario?"_ thought Ash, placing a hand on the sole pokeball attached to his belt. _"Is that you?"_

 ** _"Yes... Master."_** answered Lucario's voice, distinct hesitation existing between the two words. _**"To brand them with the Seal of the Fellowship, you must touch the crest of your staff to their head."**_

 _"Lucario, you don't have to stay in your ball, y'know. Just like Sir Aaron, I'm totally fine with you walking around."_

 _ **"I am no longer living, only my soul rests in the ball. To give me physical form, you must find a body compatible to host me. This is how Sir Tobias was able to enter the world of the living both times, and it's the only way I will ever be of physical use. I believe you crossed paths with a prodigious Riolu on your journey through Sinnoh, many years ago. He is likely to have become a powerful Lucario by now, and he is likely to be the exact host I need."**_

 _ **"But what'll happen to him?"**_ asked Pikachu, climbing into Ash's shoulder. **_"You're straight up gonna jack his body like that? Y'all are some savages."_**

 ** _"His consciousness will merge with mine, and we will become one Lucario until the time for me to return to the Corridors arrives."_** answered Lucario. _**"As Lucarios, we know our duty to serving the Aura is paramount. He will understand."**_

 _"Alright..."_

Serena watched as Ash and Pikachu made several facial expressions and gestures, all without actually saying anything. They both looked absolutely ridiculous, but she didn't sweat it too much. It was probably some Aura Guardian thing that normal folk wouldn't understand without an explanation. Regardless, she couldn't stop herself from looking at them as if they were senile.

Realizing Serena had been waiting, Ash gasped.

"Oh, sorry about that, you see I have voices in... my... head." stammered Ash, aware that he sounded insane. "But anyway,"

Ash tapped the tip of his staff on Serena's forehead. A small blue spark shimmered upon contact, disappearing quickly after. Suddenly, Aura began to materialize around Serena, encroaching the air around her body until a navy blue, hooded cloak was formed, concealing her body from her neck down to where the cloak ended, halfway down her shins. Serena looked down at her new threads, admiring them.

"welcome to the club." finished Ash, putting on his hood. He then walked towards the exit of the room, staff in hand. "Now, let's get out of here. Hoods up."

'Why?" asked Serena, putting up her hood and following Ash.

"Because," began Ash, grinning. "we didn't choose the Aura life, the Aura life chose us."

...

 _ **"Damn, the delivery on that one was dope."**_ complimented Pikachu. _**"No lie, didn't see it coming."**_

 _"Pfft, you know me. I saw the opportunity, seized that shit A to the SAP."_ thought Ash, proud of himself. _"Always paying due respects to my boy Tupac, y'know?"_

 ** _"West side."_** agreed Pikachu. **_"Ain't that right, LucariBro?"_**

 ** _"Ughhhhhhhhh..._ "**

* * *

 _[Elsewhere...]_

The time was nigh. A torrential downpour descended from the skies above, thunder accompanying it; a fitting atmosphere for the plans that were about to be put into action. The rolls of thunder echoed strongly in throne room of Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, shaking his main base to its foundations. But, as he expected of his organization (people often called it a cult, but when asked, he strongly affirmed it was no such thing), all personnel were doing their jobs, regardless of the weather. In The Commander's world, slacking off was never tolerated... unless he was doing it.

Which he was.

Truth be told, when not doing field missions he deemed too complex for his men to handle, he was always on his throne, relaxing. But now, he could no longer sit in relaxation. He hadn't been notified by his recon staff yet, but it didn't matter, he could feel it; The Chosen Guardian, as foretold by the prophecy, had set foot on Earth again. Of course, this meant Master Brecht and his army of imps, demons, and other malevolent entities would be released any time within the next coming days. It was time to prepare.

First, he lifted up a hatch on the right arm-rest of his throne, revealing several buttons. He pressed one of them and closed the hatch, only to turn around and do the same on the left arm-rest, except this time, only 6 buttons were revealed. He pressed one of them, and a beep sounded.

"Feinberg?" he spoke, leaning back into his chair.

There was a pause.

"My liege," sounded a voice from a hidden speaker. "we are picking up a MASSIVE spike in the planet's overall Aura readin-"

"I'm well aware. Come to the throne room. And, as usual, bring me something to eat. I'm starving."

"Yes, my liege."

And then, the waiting began. The Commander sighed; Feinberg always took his sweet time with everything. Predicting it'd take at least a couple minutes for his head scientist to arrive, he removed his mask for a second, wiping his face with his hand. The air circulation in it was terrible, truly a factor he didn't consider when he started wearing it. There were two small slits for him to see through, but no breathing holes by the mouth area to breathe through. This led to a very humid climate in the space between his face and the mask. He often wished he didn't have to wear it, but he did. If he didn't, well, none of what he'd be doing would be possible.

Right as he began to rub his tired eyes, the sound of someone punching in the access code to the throne room sounded, prompting Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to frantically reattach the mask to his hood, concealing his face once again. Right as the mask was back on, Dr. Feinberg opened the door, rushing in with a fresh tray of pizza rolls. Mixed emotions washed over The Commander; he loved pizza rolls, but Feinberg had come drastically earlier than expected.

"How did you get here so quickly? I literally just called you." he inquired, adjusting his casual sitting posture to a more formal one. "Leave the pizza rolls right here."

"Yes, Commander." answered Dr. Feinberg, cautiously placing the pizza rolls next to the throne. "I was already on my way here, my liege. The Aura readings in my lab were going off the charts. When I was first notified I feared it was one of those Maples, but when I looked at the readings myself, it was clear it could only be-"

"The Chosen Guardian has returned." interrupted The Commander. More often than not, Dr. Feinberg talked too much for his liking. "Which means Master Brecht will as well. As Head Disciple of the 7 Grand Disciples of Master Brecht, I declare the Dark Order to be in a military state. Tell Captain Kurt to mobilize more troops to all regions, but Kanto and Johto especially. That's the area the Chosen Guardian currently resides. Also, all of the Grand Disciples are to be stationed at each region. I'll decide who goes where later, but the purpose is to have a leader in every region, so wherever the Chosen's fellowship goes, we'll have strong leadership."

"I see... and what shall we do when Master Brecht appears before us?"

"He won't. He'll need a strong, young, and most importantly of all, _compatible_ host to give him physical form, and I'm afraid none of us 7 Grand Disciples fill that role. His seal will be broken, but his soul won't be able to leave the Distortion World." explained The Commander, skillfully slipping a pizza roll under his mask. "However, his army of ghosts n' goblins is a different story. They were much simpler beings than the big man himself, so finding compatible bodies will be a cake-walk for them. Any day now, majority of our ranks will suddenly become Dark Guardians. Then they'll truly be dangerous."

"I see... but if we'll have an army of Dark Guardians at our disposal... won't the countless experiments I've conducted for the last few years be in vain? My team and I just recently reached a breakthrough too..."

"A breakthrough?" repeated the Commander, leaning forward in interest.

"Yes. While not perfect, two of my youngest test subjects have finally begun to show favorable results." confirmed Dr. Feinberg, smiling with dark, twisted pride. "The serum finally seems to have worked, though with some minor side effects... Regardless, I believe they're ready to be trained for combat."

From behind his mask, The Commander's eyes narrowed.

"The youngest two, you say?" he asked, slipping another pizza roll into his mouth. "Hm... Okay, Doctor, here's what we'll do. Obviously the success of these experiments means a great deal to you, and considering how much time you've put into developing this serum, I'll honor your sentiments. Go and contact Lord Kamerion. Tell him, that by my orders, the 2 test subjects will be sent to his base in Sinnoh. He'll "brief" them, and then begin their training. Depending on the results of this all, perhaps we'll incorporate your serum into our military strategy, deal?"

"Thank you, Commander." sighed Dr. Feinberg, relieved his experiments would be put to use. "Ah, one last thing I'd like to ask about... what shall we do about the two Maples in Hoenn? They're undoubtedly going to be part of the Chosen Guardian's fellowship as well, we have records of both showing great potential. Now that the Chosen Guardian has returned, we can no longer deem them as harmless due to lack of anyone to teach them the ways of the Aura. I advise that we apprehend them and-"

"I've got it covered." said The Commander, waving his hand dismissively. "You're dismissed. But come back in 15 minutes with more pizza rolls. No, wait, actually... bagel bites. And make it 20 minutes. As you leave, disarm the door's passcode, I'm expecting someone any second now."

"Yes, Commander." complied Dr. Feinberg, bowing.

He then turned around and took his leave, leaving The Commander of the Dark Order and Head Disciple of the 7 Grand Disciples... to his tray of pizza rolls. If he wasn't aware of the immense power The Commander possessed, he'd have never assumed such a man would be the leader of their entire organization. He was looked up to by the whole organization, not only for his astounding prowess in battle, but for his willingness to compromise with his subordinates to find the best solutions. It was his rule that caused the recent growth in the Dark Order's numbers. When he had taken command, it was still but an uncivilized cult, despite its centuries of existence. But now, in his 21st year of being in command, it was an elaborate, advanced, world-wide organization.

Feinberg and the rest of the Grand Disciples had full faith in Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _'s leadership, leading to them almost never questioning his decisions. Which was why when The Doctor left the room and saw that Wade Felix, a low-ranked member with only one successful mission on his record to date, was the person The Commander was expecting... he simply shrugged, disarmed the passcode, and went on his way.

* * *

A solid 30 minutes of walking followed Ash and Serena's reunion. The large crystals inhabiting the Tree of Beginning harmlessly lit the caverns within, the tree seeming to be aware Ash and those associated with him were the furthest things from threats. No white blood cells had been encountered, nor had any of the Regi-golems. The walk had been completely undisturbed so far, neither Ash nor Serena speaking since the latter's induction into the Fellowship.

Serena simply couldn't figure out what to say. It all felt too surreal. She had succeeded; She had actually set out, found, and released Ash Ketchum, the only boy she'd ever loved. But right when he was finally with her again, talking had suddenly become an unconquerable mountain. What to ask? What to tell him? The biggest question she'd currently had was why _he_ wasn't talking. All he had done for the past half hour was walk forward, loyal Pikachu on shoulder and staff in hand. Was he uncomfortable? He'd looked a little flustered in his first seconds of freedom from the crystal. Or was he just thinking about something important? Serena wished she could read his mind... or at least see his face. Even when walking beside him, the shadows cast by the large hoods of their cloaks made it hard to see any facial expression clearly.

Serena sighed; what could he be thinking about?

 _"Fellowship be pushin', yeah we making a killin'."_ thought Ash, straight-faced. _"Cashin' on some spoiled-girl flow, Paris Hilton. The truth from the Chosen of the Aura be spillin', whole squad pull up, chillin' like villains."_

 _ **"The money comes quick, by bars come quicker, rappin' off 3 pints 'imaginary liquor."**_ continued Pikachu. _**"My girl, she BAD, but she ain't ever tryna bicker, we both know we tryna make these fat wallets thicker."  
**_

 _"Now I gotta call a gas, 'cuz you a fake. Your untrue hullabaloo gets me irate. What girl? Don't make me hurl, that ain't my fate. You single, can't even mingle, gimme a break."_

 ** _"Oh so you wanna get realistic, huh?"_** inquired Pikachu, malicious intent in his voice. **_"I'm game."_**

 _"No wait-"_

 ** _"Forgive me Lord, I shall commit a sin, gon' expose this fraud as a simpleton. Wanna talk girls? You're done twenty seconds in! You're a scared young lad, I'm a rap kingpin! Talkin' down on me? I'll slay your whole darned kin! No survivors, just some fires from the thunder kid! You love two damn girls? YOU INDECISIVE SHIT! Fuck out' my sight, please sir just hit the dip! I'm spittin' cannon fire, so just abandon ship! Young Pika takin' names, so sonny, get a grip! I've just expelled your ass, now here's your damn pink slip."_**

"...(ಥ_ಥ) ..."

 ** _"..._ (** **⊙_⊙)** ** _...Oh my..."_** sounded Lucario's voice in the background.

 _ **"Damn right...**_ **(** **￣へ￣)...** _ **"**_

During Pikachu's utter annihilation of his self-esteem, Ash had stopped walking. The heat was simply too much, fire of that magnitude would surely have resulted in arson charges. And of course, since Ash was walking in front, Serena had also stopped walking. Confused, she watched him, wondering why they had come to a halt. He was gripping his staff quite tightly, giving off the impression that he was under some sort of stress. Was it time to talk to him? Was this the right moment to ask him something? She took a second to ridicule herself for thinking of such questions; of course she could talk if she wanted to.

"Ash?" she asked, removing her hood. "Are you alright?"

"Huh, wha?" asked Ash, removing his hood. He looked at Serena's eyes and immediately blushed. "Oh, sorry. I was just... recovering."

"Recovering?" asked Serena, her eyes never leaving Ash's. "From what?"

 _"Those fucking eyes, those fucking eyes..."_ thought Ash, nearly suffocating from the unintentional intensity of Serena's gaze. "...Don't worry about it, just some mystic Aura Guardian stuff."

"Mystic Aura Guardian stuff." repeated Serena, blinking for what seemed like the first time in ages. "Interesting."

"Yeah..." said Ash, continuing walking. At that point, that was all he could do. If he'd spent even another second in that situation, his head would have stood the near-actual threat of exploding. "But, uh, if you have any other questions, I can probably answer them."

"Questions..." said Serena, her eyes darting to the crystalline ceiling. They then refocused on Ash. "Oh, what were the Corridors of the Aura like? That's where you've been, right?"

"Yeah, that was where I trained." answered Ash, putting his hood back on. Almost automatically, Serena did the same. "It was an interesting place to say the least. It was huge, lots of sprawling halls with many doors to many rooms with many things in them. It took me about a year to figure out where everything was. The floors were tiled, royal blue and black, while the walls were made of the same stone Gothic churches are made of, I think. Just like Gothic churches, there were also rose windows, and of course every one of them had a blue color scheme. Everything was lit by torches, but don't let that fool you; there were lights installed in the ceiling. My masters just liked being as extra as possible."

"Really?" laughed Serena, liking Ash's changed speech patterns. It was reminiscent of his younger ones, but with a wittier, older-sounding twist to it. "Besides being 'extra', what were your masters like?"

"Being real, they were all different breeds of social degenerate/outcast." said Ash, earning laughter from Pikachu and disapproving grumbles from Lucario. "Sir Branford taught me a lot of hand-to-hand fighting and built up my strength. High school wasn't a thing when he was around, but if it was, he would have peaked there. Sir Tobias, well he was just an antisocial asshole, nothing too complex there. He taught Pikachu and I a lot of teamwork and synchronization techniques. Sir Hylus taught me how to use a lot of weapons, and after many months, we realized I'm best with staves. I'd say something about him, but its hard to get a read on the personality of someone who just does not talk at all."

"They sound like quite the bunch." commented Serena.

"Oh, there's more. Sir Riley was the one I was closest with. He taught me how to perform spells, as well as how to shape and control my Aura. He was much more in touch with his social skills than the rest, and I'd even go as far as to say he's one of the best friends I've ever had. But in the end, he just wasn't as cool as I am. And last but not least, there was Sir Aaron."

Ash could hear Lucario growling in his mind.

 _ **"Do not speak ill of Sir Aaron-"**_

"Sir Aaron was like a stereotypical dad that tries to be cool to the point of embarrassing himself. His attempts to use slang always resulted in massive levels of second-hand embarrassment. But when he wasn't trying to be "gnarly", he was teaching me how to fully tap into my latent powers. That's when he would really show why he was one of the most powerful and revered Aura Guardians in history. His Aura, it felt like it never ended sometimes."

"Gnarly..." giggled Serena, laughing at the criminally out-dated word. "So, are you more powerful than him?"

"Yes. I'm the most powerful Aura Guardian that's ever lived... and it's all thanks to them." said Ash, smiling. "They trained me with their end goal being me surpassing all of them... and that's just what I did. It was hard work for all of us, which is why I'm not going to let them or anyone in this world down. We're going to kick some ass and save the world, Serena."

"You make it sound like it's going to be easy..." noted Serena, still unsure of her purpose in the Fellowship.

"It'll be a cake-walk." answered Ash nonchalantly.

Serena furrowed her eyebrows, expressing her persisting uncertainty. Ash noticed this and frowned. He stopped walking, as did Serena.

"Look, Serena," he said, fully turning to her. In an attempt to add more weight to his words, he awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Similar to what I said earlier, just trust in the Aura. We _will_ save the world. I'm the _Chosen_ Guardian for a reason, and you are one of the _Chosen_ Ones for a reason. We were _Chosen_ for this. Doubting your place as a member of The Fellowship won't do you any good, because like it or not, I'm keeping you around, and the same will go for everyone else once we find them."

Serena's cheeks reddened at Ash's touch. The assuring look in his auburn eyes sent her hormones into a feral frenzy, an amalgamation of different sensations rushing through her. Her stomach was experiencing waves of fluttering butterfrees. Chills weren't just running down her spine, no, they were drag racing. Suddenly, her heart beat became very feelable, the pace picking up a little.

"How are you going to find everyone else?" she asked, her voice uneven. "Can you sense them?"

"No, but I'm sure fate will take care of that." answered Ash, removing his hand. "Right now, our focus is on getting to the Sinnoh region. I need a Lucario, and the one I'm looking for is somewhere there. I can't sense him from this far away, but once we get to the region I should be able to pinpoint where he is. I'm not too sure how we're going to get there though... We're near Johto, right? Maybe I'll pick up Charizard from the Charicific Valley so he can fly us."

"...We're also near Kanto." stated Serena, calming down.

 _"Oh here we go..."_ thought Ash, rolling his eyes.

"You're not going to tell everyone you're alive?"

"No..." muttered Ash, putting his hood back on as he continued walking. "I've already decided that I'd wait till after the world is saved to see everyone, just in case I fail and _actually_ die. I wouldn't want them them to go through the whole mourning process a second time... catch my drift?"

"I can't say I do. I thought you said this would be a cake-walk." retorted Serena, raising an eyebrow. "Ash, you have to visit them. They deserve to know, regardless of what happens. And what if one or more of them are part of the Fellowship? It's not a far-fetched concept for at least one of them to be a Chosen One; Brock and Misty were your first traveling companions. And your mother? Well, she's your _mother_. You have to visit her at the very least."

"..."

 _ **"She spits facts."**_ agreed Pikachu.

 ** _"I concur."_** added Lucario.

Serena silently stared at Ash, waiting for an answer. After a couple seconds of mulling it over more with Lucario and Pikachu, the young Aura Guardian cleared his throat.

"...Alright, once we get out of here we'll set up camp. If my memory serves me correctly, we're pretty close to Pewter City. We'll stop there tomorrow morning, say hi to Brock and Misty, make our way to Pallet Town, and spend the night there. Those are the only visits I'll allow, since they're close by and won't hinder our progress all too much. From then on, it'll be world-saving, fellowship-building, evil-doer ass-whoopings, and nothing else."

"Fine by me." answered Serena, her lips curving into a smile. "Afterwards, I'm sure you'll be glad you visited."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Ash sighed, relieved the conversation was over. In all honestly, it was probably the most exhausting thing he had gone through in a while. Serena had definitely changed as a person. She seemed far less bubbly than she was 5 years ago, seeming to have adopted a more serious, straight-to-the-point way of speaking. But her actual speech patterns themselves... either she'd answer with a quick sentence, or drop a full, emotional paragraph. And the way she looked at him every time he spoke... it was like she barely ever blinked. Her gaze was so concentrated... almost overbearing. Her body language was off as well. She didn't seem uncomfortable, but it wasn't very difficult to observe that she seemed to think before every action, as if messing up in a simple conversation would be the end of the world.

Her social skills had definitely declined in his absence, that was for sure.

But before Ash could wonder why, he remembered her saying that she'd been searching for him... _alone_. Thinking back, he realized he didn't recall her saying how long the search was. She had left it at a simple "years", which raised a question in his mind. In all that time she had spent searching... how many people had she actually held a conversation with?

* * *

 _[Petalburg City...]_

Max Maple couldn't sleep. How could he? Ash Ketchum, his childhood hero, was alive and well. He had been in a deep sleep just a half hour ago, but as soon as Ash's Aura returned to the physical plane, he was immediately woken. Of course, he had sensed May's Aura fluctuate as well, which had prompted him to check on her. She indeed felt it too, but could only discern it as a feeling similar to how she felt when Tobias had come, years ago. Max made the decision to leave it at that, opting not to tell her that she was, in fact, sensing Ash. He'd left her room shortly after he had entered, and now he was in his bed, lost in his own thoughts.

 _"He's back."_ he mused, staring at the ceiling. _"And he's insanely powerful... as in Chosen Guardian levels of powerful... What am I gonna do now...?"_

The question was more valid than one would think. Max now found himself in a situation that could quickly become sticky if not handled properly. May was back to normal, back to living her own life. She was her own person again; she no longer needed Ash Ketchum around to be happy. Was this really the time to tell her he was back? Right when she had finally moved on?

 ** _"She'll have to find out eventually..."_** echoed a voice in Max's mind.

Max eyed one of the two pokeballs on his nightstand. He hadn't fully forged it at the time of May's rescue, but after two years at home, he now shared a mental link with his main pokemon, Gardevoir. Max sighed, cupping the ball in his hand as he continued to think.

 _"I know that, Gardevoir. Really, that's the part that bugs me. I know there's no way she wont find out... I just don't want her to find out for a WHILE. I know May; if she finds out that he's alive, she's going to draw the connection that he's the Chosen Guardian, and she's going to want to join him. She'll ask me to teach her how to use Aura, and even if I say no, she'll defiantly declare that she'll just go to Ash and have him teach her instead."_

 _ **"But if that's what she wants-"**_

 _"For once, I don't care what she wants."_ declared Max, leaning his head back. _"Not only would she be in extreme danger joining Ash on his quest... she just doesn't need that kind of craziness in her life anymore. Ash was and probably still is a great person, but the effect he has on May... it's too strong. I don't want her to slip back into bad habits, or to lose herself again."_

 _ **"Max... while your reasoning is noble intention-wise, it's wrong. You can't choose May's path. She's older than you, and she's her own person. As her brother, the best thing you can do is just stand by her and always offer her your support."**_

 _"I guess... but-... wait, hold on."_

Max's conversation with Gardevoir had to be put on hold, as he could sense May approaching his room. He sat up in his bed, waiting for the knock that was sure to come. But no, May did not knock. Instead, she slowly opened the door, peeking into the room. Still as a statue, Max stared at her, startling the 22 year-old brunette. Seeing that he was wide awake, she opened the door fully and walked in, closing it behind her. She then leaned against the door, hands clasped behind her back. She was staring at the floor, seeming to have trouble deciding what to say.

"What's up?" asked Max, putting on his glasses.

May softly bit her bottom lip before locking eyes with Max. Max sighed, knowing what she was going to ask. The look in her eyes told it all.

"Max, is it possible you can teach me how to use my Aura? / You want me to teach you how to use Aura, right?" said the Maple siblings, simultaneously.

May's eyes widened, surprised Max already knew what she was going to ask. Before continuing the conversation, she quietly walked over to Max's bed and sat next to him. She looked at her brother, determination in her eyes. Max stared right back, opting show no emotion, regardless of how he felt inside.

"Why?" he asked, maintaining eye contact.

May sighed and looked down at her lap, shrugging.

"So you just felt the sudden urge to learn how to harness and control life energy?" asked Max, folding his arms. "That's neat."

"I just... I feel like I should learn. You said what we were feeling earlier was a powerful Aura user, yeah? I feel like so much of the past few years of my life have been connected to Aura in some way or another. It's a part of our family, and unlike Dad, I'm not afraid to embrace that. I'm tired of being in the dark about everything. I want to be able to sense things on my own, to be able to protect myself, to be able to actually communicate with Glaceon like you can with Gardevoir..."

"Is that really all?" asked Max, skeptical.

"Well... those are the logical reasons." answered May, interlocking all fingers except for her thumbs, which she slowly twiddled. "If you want me to be honest... I just feel a strange calling to finally learn. I can't explain it. Something about the way that powerful person's Aura felt... it literally felt like it was calling me to come with them... and for some reason... I feel like I should. I can't explain it Max, but I got a weird rush of _hope_ after sensing them, even though I don't know who they are. What if it's that Chosen Guardian person you were talking about after you rescued me?"

 ** _"Wow. Just... wow."_** commented Gardevoir. _**"You really weren't too far off, Max..."**_

 _"Called it."_ thought Max in response. He took a deep breath before speaking. "May, I dont know. It's not easy, and I'm no teacher, let alone a master. I'm merely an amateur, nothing compared to an actual Guardian. I was just barely able to learn Aura myself, I really don't think I'm capable of teaching it to another person. And even if you asked me 2 years ago, back when I could do more than just heal people and talk to Gardevoir... my answer probably would've been the same."

May didn't say anything at first. Instead, she continued to stare at her lap, seeming awfully still. Max leaned forward to see her face better, and what he saw - as well as what he _felt_ for a split second - made his mouth open slightly. Her sapphire eyes had taken on a lighter hue, as well as a vibrant, blue glow that Max knew all to well. A single tear was running down the side of her face, a blue gleam on the end of it.

"May?" stammered Max, absolutely positive he could see an extremely faint blue glow emanating from May's body.

"I'm alright... I don't know where the tears came from... heheh..." answered the brunette, wiping her tears away. "I don't know, sometimes I just get choked up for the smallest things."

She turned her head to Max and gave him a reassuring smile, which Max responded to with widened eyes and a frown. Her glow had vanished as quickly as it came. Her irises had lost the unmistakable glow of Aura that he'd seen just seconds ago, returning to the usual deep oceanic blue they usually were. Like magic, she was back to normal, which only further fueled Max's confusion. Noticing Max's expression, May frowned as well.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head.

"...Nothing." answered Max, shaking his head. "Anyway, I'm sorry, but I can't teach you, May. It's just not possible..."

"I understand, Max. I just thought I'd give it a shot at least... Some day, I'll learn." said May, exaggerating a yawn as she did so. "I'm gonna try to go back to sleep, it's getting late. Goodnight, love you."

"Love you too." replied Max, watching as May got out of his bed and approached the door. "Sleep well."

"You too."

Max waited until May was fully out of the room before freaking out in response to what he'd just witnessed. Ironically, May had (unknowingly) just been using her Aura. Due to their family's strong connection between Aura and emotion, she seemed to have been subconsciously releasing small amounts of it. She had shed a few tears, so Max could only conclude that her Aura was reacting to that same sadness, the sadness he didn't have the chance to ask her about. But that wasn't the reason for his current state of awe. It was the degree of potency he sensed in her Aura, the base level of power... _that_ was the _true_ noteworthy aspect of the scenario. It was the first time he'd ever seen May's Aura actually being released, and somehow... it was already stronger than his own. The power wasn't worlds apart, and like he'd stated, Max was no master, but still... it came as a surprise that May's completely inexperienced Aura had already surpassed the Aura of someone going into his fourth year of using it.

Max rolled over and buried his face into his pillow, his same question from earlier returning to his head.

 _"Ughhh... What am I gonna do now?"_

* * *

 _[Outskirts of Kanto...]_

The Tree of Beginning was now a landmark not too far away, its green exterior coated in spindles of moonlight. Ash and Serena had safely made it out of the tree, opting to set up "camp" (they gathered some wood and started a fire) as soon as they reached level ground. They had spoken a little more since their conversation in the tree, but for the most part, things were quiet. Serena had released all of her pokemon once camp was set up, giving Pikachu a chance to catch up with Sylveon, Pangoro, and Braixen. Pikachu tried to talk to all of them, only really getting a good conversation out of Sylveon. Braixen and Pangoro were far less talkative.

In fact, it seemed like Sylveon's interest in Pikachu was so high that it made up for the lack of interest from the other two. Pikachu, who already found Eeveelutions to be "hella thicc", was definitely interested in Sylveon as well. However, the yellow mouse was surprised by himself; before this, he was sure he only liked Ice-types. But the way Sylveon looked... he was heavily considering changing his stance to a dual Fairy-type/Ice-type preference.

But of course, Pikachu hitting things off with Sylveon came at a price... for Ash at least. Shortly after everything was settled, everyone had begun to fall sleep. The Chosen Guardian watched as an exhausted Serena and Braixen leaned and curled up into Pangoro's soft fur, both falling asleep near instantly. Right when he was about to wonder where Sylveon was, he spotted her by the fire, cuddling and dozing off with Pikachu.

Alone and with no one to talk to, Ash sat against a tree, waiting for sleep to come to him. Unfortunately, it didn't come as fast as he'd have liked. There wasn't even much on his mind; he just hadn't lost consciousness yet. It felt odd to try to sleep in somewhere other than the Corridors.

 _"Well... this is boring."_ he thought, yawning. _"Wish I had someone to talk to... But no, Pikachu's BUSY..."_

 _ **"Hello."**_

"Shit!" swore Ash, startled by Lucario's sudden greeting. He then retreated into his thoughts once more. _"Oh, Lucario! Not gonna lie, I forgot you were here. You're not asleep?"_

 _ **"No."**_

 _"...I see."_ answered Ash. _"So, what's going on? Wanna play I Spy or something?"_

 ** _"No. I wish to recommend an action, if you do not mind. It is of great importance."_**

 _"That being...?"_

 _ **"By my estimate, Master Brecht's seal shall be broken in mere hours. From here on, we will face danger and peril, often when we least expect it. But, of course, proper rest is an infinitely important component to our success, so I advise you to cast a protective screen over the settlement as you sleep. That way, there will be no need to worry about safety during the hours of sleep."**_

"Gotcha." murmured Ash, materializing his black rod in his hand. He placed both hands on it and touched the end to the ground, beginning his chant. "S _emak melakukan sembilan sebelas, semak melakukan sembilan sebelas..._ protect and preserve, Hidden Barrier."

Thin wisps of Aura spun and slithered into existence from the top of Ash's staff, injecting themselves into the air. They expanded until the entire camp was surrounded by them, and once enough had been released, they formed a thin dome of Aura around The Fellowship. The dome then faded out of visibility, indicating the spell was finished.

 _"There. If anyone that's not part of the Fellowship even touches it from the outside, they'll be stopped in their tracks. It's a pretty strong barrier, one of Riley's favorites."_ said Ash, sitting back down. He let out another yawn. _"Alright Lucario, I'm actually gonna try to fall asleep now. Goodnight."_

 _ **"Goodnight, Master."**_

"Ew..." muttered Ash, closing his eyes. "Please stop calling me that..."

 _..._

 _[The next morning...]_

 _..._

Ash's eyes fluttered open, only to immediately close in response to the Sun's light shining directly into them. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. When they opened again, he was able to see, letting out a yawn as he did so. His mouth felt funny; he urgently needed to brush his teeth. Unfortunately, his masters didn't send him back with a toothbrush. He sighed and turned towards the area Serena, Pangoro, and Braixen had fallen asleep, wondering if the honey-blonde had any ideas for maintaining oral hygiene. She had been searching for him in the wild, yet her breath didn't smell when he'd talked to her yesterday; she _had_ to know something he didn't.

"I wonder what her secret is- uh oh."

Ash's eyes widened, the young Guardian noticing that Serena wasn't curled up against Pangoro like she was when she'd fallen asleep. He looked around, and much to his concern, she wasn't anywhere within the confines of the barrier he'd created at all. All 3 of her pokemon were still there, soundly asleep, but she herself was gone... without a trace. Ash scrambled to his feet, instantly feeling a wave of worry wash over him.

"Crap crap crap crap crappity crap crap crap crap..." he stammered, panicking.

 ** _"Relax."_** advised Lucario. _**"Feel for her Aura."**_

 _"Right!"_ answered Ash, nodding.

After taking a deep breath to calm himself a little, he shut his eyes in an attempt to feel for Serena's Aura better. Luckily, there was no way she could've gone far enough to be out of his range. It didn't take long till he pinpointed her location; she wasn't _far_ , but she was definitely a considerable distance away.

"...There she is." he sighed, immensely relieved. He then frowned, realizing Serena Yvonne wasn't all that he sensed nearby. "Ahhhhh shit... they're bad news."

 ** _"We must hurry."_**

* * *

Serena had woken up approximately an hour before Ash had. Her body clock always woke her up around sunrise, making her the true definition of a morning person. Like she did most mornings of her travels, she'd immediately searched the nearby areas for lakes or streams. She opted to leave her pokemon with Ash, as, odd enough, none of them had woken up when she had.

She had found a large pond about 45 minutes into her search. Once she arrived, she performed the usual routine when her water searches yielded success: she made sure it was clean, fresh water, collected some in a large bottle for drinking (only after she'd have Braixen boil it for her first), and then removed her clothing. She opened a compartment of her backpack, revealing copious amounts of hand-picked mint leaves with varying levels of dryness. She grabbed a couple, began chewing them, and then waded into the pond, stopping when the water reached her shoulders.

The bath had been rather uneventful. She'd spent most of it thinking about how Ash had changed, and how even though he was different, he was still the same old Ash. Near the end, she had almost started to doubt her place in the Fellowship again, but she stopped herself. Ash's words of encouragement were still fresh in her conscience, warding off such feelings. Serena smiled; if they were in the same situation 5 years ago... there wasn't a doubt in her mind he'd say the same things. He was still Ash, and she was still in love.

"Just trust in the Aura..." she whispered to herself, getting out of the pond.

After waiting for her body to dry off a little, she began to put her clothes back on. Right as she finished putting on her last garments, she began to hear voices nearby. They sounded like male voices, but much to her alarm, none of them were Ash's.

Deeming anything that wasn't Ash, Pikachu, or one of her pokemon to be a possible threat, Serena entered survival mode. One of her hands reached into her cloak, pulling out one of the knives she carried at all times. In a perfect world, she'd be able to escape whoever was nearby and get back to camp. But if not... then she'd have to defend herself, which she was no stranger to doing. She slowly walked towards the direction of the camp, being sure to be as silent with her footsteps as possible. However, she soon encountered a problem: the closer she got to camp, the louder the voices got.

Before backing up and deciding to find another route, Serena stayed put. She was close enough to hear what the people were saying, which she planned on using to her advantage. If they were friendly, she'd have no problem walking by and being on her way.

"Alright guys, according to our orders passed down from The Commander himself, the Chosen Guardian & Friends should still be in this area. We see him? We kill him. On the spot. Preferably before he has a chance to kill us."

"Yes sir!" answered multiple men in unison.

Serena frowned; they were not friendly.

She began to back up, deciding to take another route back to camp. Whoever these people were, they were clearly enemies. From what she could hear, there were at least 10 people; too many for her to take care of without her pokemon.

 _"Whoever they are, they're definitely dangerous... I have to get out of here so I can warn-"_

Serena paused, feeling her back bump into something; the breathing she heard told her it was a person. Not ready to take any chances, she immediately thrust her knife backwards. The faint sound of metal lightly clashing with metal entered her ears, causing her to look over her shoulder in confusion. Sky blue eyes met brown as she locked eyes with none other than Ash, who had managed to deflect her stab with his staff. There was a surprised look on his face. Serena fully turned around, and saw Pikachu (who looked very groggy) on Ash's shoulder.

"Jeez, Serena." whispered Ash, scratching his head. "A little quick to the trigger, don't you thin-"

"Shhh..." hushed the honey blonde, covering his mouth.

Serena pointed to the direction she'd heard the voices from. Ash responded with an eye roll, conveying that he already knew there were enemies ahead. Serena raised both eyebrows and then rolled her own eyes, realizing Ash's senses were obviously many times keener than hers. Ash's eyes darted back and forth between Serena's eyes and the area the voices were coming from. He then wiggled his eyebrows. Serena shook her head. Ash nodded. Serena shook her head faster. Ash nodded faster. Still groggy from Ash's less than ideal method of waking him, Pikachu yawned. And then he sneezed. Loudly. Both Ash and Serena looked at Pikachu, who glared at both of them.

"Hey, did you hear that?" sounded one of the voices up ahead.

 _"Pikachu, what the fuck?"_ thought Ash, removing Serena's hand from his mouth.

 _ **"Nah, fuck you! Shit wasn't on purpose, but it's what you deserve for waking me up like that!"**_ declared Pikachu, sparks flying from his cheeks. **_"Yanking me by the tail off Sylveon like that... that's some motherfucking abuse if you ask me!"_**

 _ **"Pay attention!"**_ roared Lucario, silencing both them.

Both Ash and Pikachu looked forward. 11 men in black uniforms were approaching from less than 40 yards away, swords in the hands of most and crossbows in the hands of a few. As soon as they saw Ash, in all his Chosen Guardian glory, their walks turned into runs, realizing they had found their target. Ash gripped his staff tight, an azure glow overtaking his eyes. Pikachu's eyes glowed blue as well, more sparks flying from the rodent's cheeks.

Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder into the air, while Ash began to charge Aura into his free hand.

"Watch out, they're going to do a synchronized attack!" barked one of the 11 foes. He seemed to be the leader. "Take cover!"

With an iconic battle cry, Pikachu called down a mighty Thunder attack... but the target was not the attackers. Instead, the powerful bolt came crashing down onto Ash's hand, which the raven-haired Guardian was holding upwards. The Aura surrounding said hand absorbed the electric shock, creating a deadly display of sparks and static electricity around Ash's hand and forearm. While Pikachu landed safely by Ash's feet, Ash lowered his hand, slowly balling it into a fist as he did so. He then thrust his arm forward, releasing an electrically charged blast of Aura straight at the mysterious enemies, annihilating 3 grunts, the ones that couldn't dodge in time.

"My crossbowmen!" cried the leader. "Troops! Show no fear! We fight for The Dark Order till our last breaths!"

"The Dark Order?" snorted Ash as he rushed the nearest two grunts, staff in hand. "You _cannot_ be serious."

With a quick swing of his staff, he parried a slash from the first grunt, leaving him open to receive a point-blank Thunderbolt from Pikachu. Ash then ducked, dodging a swing from the second grunt.

 ** _"If that isn't the most generic, wanna-be edgy name I've EVER heard..."_** commented Pikachu, landing an Iron Tail on the crook of the second grunt's neck. _**"What's your leader's name? ShadowLord101? MegaPyroBlade X? DarkSlash9? Yo, let's just sit down and play Shadow the Hedgehog while we're at it."**_

Two more grunts came charging towards Ash, who was laughing at Pikachu's words. Stifling down some chuckles, Ash put both his hands forward and fired two Aura Spheres at the men. Only one of them hit its target, putting the Dark Order operative it hit out of commission. The second sphere, however, was deflected by the other grunt's sword. It was sent hurtling right back at Ash, who, still smiling, absorbed the sphere, only to send back another one that was twice as large. This time, the target was hit, right in the gut.

"DarkSlash9? You're ridiculous, Pikachu." laughed Ash, shaking his head. "But anyway, 7 down, 4 to g-"

"AGHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ash and Pikachu both turned around, startled. They turned just in time to watch another grunt fall face first into the ground, their assailant quickly moving onto the next one. She moved with such grace, such deadly, aggressive, icy grace. The next grunt swung their sword at her, but it clashed with the dagger she held in hand. In one rapid motion she slid her blade down the sword, till her own steel cut through the hilt and made contact with the grunt's hand, doing minor yet but painful damage to his fingers. She then delivered a swift knee to the man's crotch, causing him to hunch over. But unfortunately, that just left his face open for a powerful knee to the nose.

The last of the grunts, angered by the swift defeat of his brethren by the hands of a woman, sprinted towards her. Instead of engaging him, she simply threw her blade towards her attacker, her aim near perfect. As if it were hot and going through butter, her knife lodged itself in the man's thigh, stopping him in his tracks.

"You..." growled the group's leader, drawing his own blade. "BITCH!"

He charged towards her, but before he could get close, he felt a hand grab him by the collar. He looked over his shoulder and met the eyes of the Chosen Guardian and his loyal Pikachu, who had climbed back onto Ash's shoulder during the defeats of the last three grunts.

"Yeah, no." said Ash, both his and Pikachu's eyes flashing with Aura.

He then used his leg to sweep the leader off balance and followed up with a downward push, thrusting the man's face into the ground. Holding the man's head down with one hand, Ash nodded his head, prompting Pikachu to release a Thunder Wave on him. The shock traveled safely from Ash's shoulder down to his palm, releasing its paralyzing effects on the last remaining enemy.

As their eyes returned to normal color, Ash and Pikachu both looked at Serena, who had taken her knife out of the man's leg and was calmly wiping the blood off it. They stared for a couple seconds, both in pure awe.

 _ **"...I'm glad Black Widow left The Avengers and joined The Fellowship."**_ said Pikachu, breaking the silence between him and Ash.

"Serena..." said Ash, standing up. "That was amazing."

"Huh?" asked Serena, turning to Ash.

Ash walked over to her right as she returned her knife to the confines of her cloak. The look of adoration he was giving her caused her face to burn up in blush.

"I said, that was amazing." he repeated, sliding his staff into the holder on his back. "How the heck can you question your place in The Fellowship when you can fight like that? That knife throw was absolutely insane!"

"Oh, um, thanks!" stammered Serena, not really seeing it as that big of a deal. "But I only took out three of them... You and Pikachu were the really amazing ones."

"Well that's only because we basically have superpow..."

Ash trailed off, never finishing his sentence. Serena frowned, noticing more and more discomfort overtaking Ash's face by the second. His eyes began to twitch, his facial expression becoming one of pure agitation. Thinking he was about to sneeze or something, Serena took a step to the right. This put her at eye level with Pikachu, and much to her concern... Pikachu's face wasn't too different from Ash's. They both looked as if they were experiencing an immense displeasure. Ash then began to shiver slightly, while Pikachu shakily placed a paw on Ash's head, seeming to be unable to maintain his balance on Ash's shoulder.

If their sudden changes in demeanor weren't enough to scare Serena, both of them beginning to breathe heavily surely was.

"Ash? Pikachu?" she asked, looking at them both. "Are you alright?"

* * *

 _[Ferry to Kanto: Hoenn waters...]_

"What... in the world...?" growled Max, clutching his head.

Something was wrong. Something was very, _very_ wrong. It had happened so suddenly, but in a split second, things had gone from completely normal to hellish. He felt like he was being suffocated, as if a great force was closing in and smothering him with its power. Everything around him felt pressurized, as if the air itself was about to implode. He could feel his consciousness wavering in and out, his vision becoming blurry, even with his glasses aiding his sight.

"May...? May...!" he wheezed, making his way out of the room he was in.

He had to find his sister. She had stayed up on the deck ever since they boarded the ferry 30 minutes prior. Right as Max reached the halfway point of the staircase that led to the deck, May stumbled into view at the top, looking just as stressed. Her eyes were only half open, and her legs were shaky. Her brother's name was all she could groan before passing out and falling forward, landing on him. The siblings then fell down the stairs, both out cold by the time they reached the bottom.

* * *

 _[The Corridors of the Aura...]_

"It appears the time has come..." muttered Sir Tobias, walking through the halls of the Corridors.

He made his way to the main hall, where Sirs Riley, Aaron, Branford, and Hylus waited. They all looked at him with grim expressions, which Tobias responded to with a hard frown.

"Why the looks of dread?" he asked, his voice level. His lips then curved into a rare smirk. "Did we not train him for this?"

The rest of the Guardians' frowns turned into smiles as well. Sir Tobias was right; there was no need to worry. They trusted in their student, and they trusted in the Aura. That was all they _could_ do. And so, Sirs Branford, Aaron, and Hylus departed to their quarters... but Sir Riley stayed behind. He let out a deep sigh and looked towards the ceiling, closing his eyes. Sir Tobias approached him, placing a hand on the younger Guardian's shoulder. Riley grinned.

"Sir Ri-"

"Yeah... I know... he'll be alright."

* * *

Alone in his throne room, The Commander sat. He felt it; The weight of millennia descending upon the planet, the tides of terror finally reaching the fated threshold. He'd never experienced anything like it before, but it was welcomed with arms as open as the cosmos. He could sense countless changes occurring throughout his base, and each one only made his hidden smile grow. One by one, primordial darkness filled his subordinates.

"And now... the fun begins." he mused, lifting up his mask to sip some wine.

* * *

"Ash!" cried Serena, grabbing the Chosen Guardian by the shoulder that Pikachu wasn't on. "Ash! Pikachu! Guys! What's wrong?!"

Ash ran a hand through his hair, his eyes darting back and forth. He wanted to answer Serena, but he couldn't. It felt as if the world around him was collapsing, caving in on itself in favor of a new one. Head pulsating in dull pain, he managed to look up at the sky, just in time to see it's transition from baby blue to an ominous shade of red. Noticing the change in lighting, Serena looked up as well. She gasped at the sight of blood red skies, a phenomenon undoubtedly associated with bad news.

Unable to take it anymore, Pikachu lost consciousness, falling off of Ash's shoulder. Ash grit his teeth, his eyes taking on an azure glow. His colossal reserves of Aura were the only things keeping him from doing the same.

 _"Lucario..."_ he thought, the sight of the reddened sky sending chills down his spine. _"Is this...?"_

 ** _"Indeed... the 10,000-year seal has broken..."_** answered Lucario, his tone grave. **_"The Dark Guardians... they walk the Earth once more."_**

* * *

 **Well, t** **hat's that.** **Gosh, that chapter was a lot harder to write than I thought it'd be. Anyway, here's something I'd like to say, just to avoid any confusion: This is still very much a shipping vs. shipping story. It just seems more leaned towards Amourshipping right now because May hasn't come into the full picture yet. But she will, along with the rest of The Fellowship. **

**One last minor thing. If you'd like to know what Ash's outfit looks like, go on Google Images and search "Kratos Aurion". Hes one of my favorite video game characters. Ash's outfit is the same as his, but instead of violet and lavender, it's navy blue and sky blue. And Ash wears a cloak over it.**

 **Well, I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading!**

 **Later,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all! Sorry for the wait! Here's Chapter 8!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

 **VIII**

* * *

 _[Outskirts of Kanto...]_

Crimson obscurity replaced blue elegance as the skies took on the most ominous of appearances, rendering Serena Yvonne motionless. She had seen the Sun rise, set, and everything in between during her travels. She'd seen nights where the stars and moonlight lit her paths, and she'd seen nights where, ironically, _seeing_ was nigh impossible. She'd seen the sky in so many forms, but never had she seen the stratosphere fester into such a color.

There was no doubt in her mind that this was unnatural, and Ash's current condition only reinforced this notion. Her hand was on his shoulder, but she could feel it sinking. As if he had suddenly become 60 years older, the Chosen Guardian began to hunch over, using his staff to help support his own weight.

"A-Ash?" squeaked Serena, her voice fearful. "What's happening?"

With a shaky grunt, Ash turned to Serena, unintentionally giving her the most intense stare he'd ever given anyone in his life, bar none. His eyes were blue to the point of neon, his black pupils providing a truly intimidating contrast to the overwhelmingly bright blue. His eyes had only spent a fraction of a second looking at Serena's before shifting to something else, something behind her.

Before Serena could ask what he was looking at (only after giving "Ash, what's happening?" another go, of course), she began to hear noises behind her. Ever on her toes, she turned around just in time to see one of the grunts she had taken out stand to his feet, eyes closed. This wasn't a huge surprise, she hadn't exactly _killed_ any of them; the surprise was in the fact that this was the grunt that had gotten a _knife_ thrown into his leg. The very same injury that had stopped the man in his tracks was now nothing to him, his impaled leg standing just as sturdily as his healthy one.

Ready for round two, Serena slowly reached one of her knives, but the next bizarre sight revealed itself to her before she could grab it: the grunt's eyes opened, revealing irises overtaken with dark orange glow. He glared at the honey blonde, who in turn found herself petrified by the malice of his gaze. His first step forward was his only one, the grunt fully leaping forward in an effort to close the gap between them.

"Serena!" barked Ash, finally speaking up. "Move!"

Freed from her moment of fear-induced paralysis, Serena hopped and stumbled out of the way. The airborne grunt was in no position to change his direction, his body now on course to land near Ash. As the miraculously agile foe soared forward, our raven-haired hero let out a heavy groan as he stood tall and swung his staff like a baseball bat, with the sound of the grunt's jaw cracking providing confirmation that it was indeed a home run.

As that unfolded, Serena eyed two more grunts rising from their previous defeats, one of which whom had certainly been killed earlier by Pikachu's point-blank Thunderbolt. Realizing her questions were to be saved for later, Serena grabbed a knife from her holster and threw it, the blade barreling straight towards the man with pinpoint accuracy. But, as the honey-blonde survivor turned her attention to the other revitalized grunt, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the grunt _dodging_ her throw, a move her various prey in the past hadn't successfully executed in _quite_ a while. Caught off guard by this strange event, she could only duck as the grunt lunged at her. Doing her best to time it right, Serena grabbed another knife from her holster and awkwardly thrust it upwards, managing to plunge it deep into the right side of his abdomen. The grunt's momentum kept him moving forward, so much that he landed face-down in the small area of ground between his two foes, which in turn only pushed the knife deeper into his body.

Ash, breathing heavily, glanced at the fallen grunt, only to see that the man was still squirming and shuffling afterwards, attempting to get up after Serena's stab.

 ** _"All beings who's souls have been deemed compatible by darkness have become possessed, controlled by the imps and demons of old... becoming Dark Guardians."_** echoed the stern voice of Lucario. **_"Wounds alone cannot vanquish them. The hatred and malice of Master Brecht runs thick through their veins, corrupting them to the point that even death is of a different threshold for them."_**

 _"Spectacular."_ replied Ash, caring very little about Lucario's words. His lungs were still burning, and his head was still pounding. _"Now please, if you could just provide the same level of insight in regards to what hell is happening to MY body, we'd be set."_

 _ **"Brecht's essence marks the Earth once again. Your body has never sensed the presence of Dark Aura in general, let alone exposure of this magnitude."** _ explained Lucario. _**"Your body is simply acclimating, your full strength will return to you in a matter of moments."**_

 _"Seems legit."_ answered Ash, nodding his aching head.

He looked to his side and saw Serena doing battle with the other grunt turned Dark Guardian. She was fast, but the unarmed Dark Guardian was surprisingly spry, able to fight on even ground with a knife-wielding foe. Ash looked to his other side, and saw the Dark Guardian who's mandible he had previously cracked open like a cold one with the boys. Slack-jawed, the evil being rushed towards Ash, having picked up one of the many abandoned swords off the ground in its time off-screen. Ash blocked the incoming vertical swing with his staff, immediately shoving the enemy away.

 _"Yeah... I can definitely feel my strength returning..."_ he thought, exhaling. _"Alright, time to whoop some ass. How do I kill these guys?"_

 ** _"One can only wonder..._ ¯\\_(T_T)** **_/¯"**

 _"...True."_ thought Ash, amassing Aura into his palm. _"Very true..."_

While our hero prepared to blast the Dark Guardian with a powerful Aura Sphere, Serena began to gain the upper hand in her own fight. At first, the demon's movements were hard for her to predict, but it didn't take long for her to start reading the poor sap like a book. Each dodge came easier to her than the last, until at one point, it felt like dodging any longer would just prolong things. And so, with all her might, she delivered a swift roundhouse kick to the fiend's neck. The enemy rag-dolled to the ground, not dead, but reeling from the hit.

After taking a second to breathe, Serena turned her attention to Ash, just in time to see him shoot his own foe with an Aura Sphere. What happened next was rather unexpected: blue cracks began to appear from the point of impact, until the man's entire body was covered in them. He then exploded in a flash of dim light, vanquished.

Ash smirked, feeling his upbeat attitude returning in tandem with his strength. He cracked his knuckles as he watched the remaining particles of his opponent fade into the winds.

"Get rekt." he spat, head held high. "That's how we do it back in the Corridors of the-"

"Ash?"

Serena's call prompted Ash to immediately turn around, though he was sure he knew what she was warning him about. The Dark Guardian he had witnessed her stab earlier had most likely found success in getting back on his feet, and was almost surely poised to attack him from behind in the coming seconds. Wanting to handle the situation with the utmost style, Ash turned around on his heels, ready to launch an Aura-charged fist into the enemy's face. But unfortunately, his predictions on the matter at hand were wrong; The D-Guardian Serena had stabbed was still writhing and wounded on the ground.

But the one she'd recently kicked down wasn't.

He now stood, hands glowing with a crimson-orange energy that almost matched the hue that stained the skies above. A fearful Serena stood beside him, contained in a red, transparent prism composed of the same energy that enveloped his palms. The Dark Guardian grinned, knowing his new hostage had given him the best advantage he could acquire at the moment. If Ash did anything to apprehend him, he'd simply crush the girl with the flick of his wrist first. The situation had become a sticky one.

 _"Dammit, if I do anything to take him out... he'll just go and crush her with a flick of his wrist! Ugh, this is a sticky situation..."_ thought the Chosen Guardian, as perceptive as ever. _"If only Pikachu was awake... then I'd just have him end this easily with Thunderbolt..."_

 ** _"Word."_**

 _"Wait, what? Pikachu?"_

Before the Dark Guardian had any time to react, the force of thousands of volts suddenly ran its course through his body, effectively ending the short stand off. Unfortunately for the Dark Guardian, this was his second time feeling this sensation, the first one being his original death as a grunt at the hands of Pikachu, just minutes earlier. It felt even more painful the second time around, his frustration and agony being expressed in the guttural howl that escaped his lips during the attack. As his body fried to a demonic crisp, his control over the prism imprisoning Serena inevitably ceased, freeing her from it.

When the light from the surprise attack died down, the blackened corpse of the Dark Guardian collapsed, revealing the yellow rodent standing behind it. The electric mouse raised a paw to his temple immediately after the attack, wincing. Like Ash, his body was still adjusting to the high concentration of dark energies in the area, and his body hadn't quite been ready to fire a full-force Thunderbolt just yet.

"Nice one, Pikachu." complimented Ash. "You woke up just in time, bud."

 ** _"Yeah, just in time to save ya girl while ya just stood there, thumb planted firmly up your ass."_** replied Pikachu, rolling his eyes. He then turned to Serena, who had fallen to the ground when the prism around her had vanished. _**"Don't say I never did you any favors, woman."**_

Serena smiled at Pikachu.

"Yeah, I'm alright Pikachu, thanks for asking :)." she cooed, petting his fur.

 ** _"What the hell are you talking abou-... oh. I see. This is it, huh? This is how things will be. This is my life now."_** grumbled Pikachu, realizing Serena couldn't understand him like Ash could. He then turned to Ash, ignoring Serena's gentle touch. **_"Anyway, what just happened? Oh, and... ya might wanna watch your foot."_**

Ash looked downwards and saw the last remaining Dark Guardian clawing at his feet, having given up on its original goal of standing up. With minimal effort, Ash charged another Aura Sphere and fired it, finishing the evil-doer off before he could cause any trouble. As soon as the third and final Dark Guardian was dispatched, the sky slowly began to return to its natural blue color, as if nothing had ever happened. As the sky completed it's transition back to normal, Ash and Pikachu felt their full strength return to them, all ailments leaving their bodies.

"Those were Dark Guardians." uttered Ash, placing his staff on his back. "The sky turning red was a side effect of Master Brecht's seal being broken. Hundreds of thousands of demons and imps just possessed hundreds of thousands of people on this planet... so, um, yeah, we'll definitely be seeing more of them in the future, which is just... fantastic."

Silence followed Ash's words. He then approached Serena, who was still crouching next to Pikachu. When he reached the two, Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder, while Serena did absolutely nothing. Ash attempted to make eye contact with her, but found her eyes dodging his gaze. Ash frowned.

"Are you alright, Serena?" he asked, crouching down to her level.

"Yeah..." she sighed, finally meeting his eyes. "I just... How am I supposed to be useful if I couldn't even beat a normal Dark Guardian on my own...? I thought I had him beat, and then he just snuck up on me and trapped me in that barrier before I could even do anything..."

"I mean, when I saw you fighting with him earlier it looked like you were doing pretty well on your own." recalled Ash. "It's like you said, he snuck up on you. That entire battle was one giant surprise, really. We'll handle things a lot better next time, now that we know what we're up against. Besides, you didn't even have any of your pokemon with you. I say it's pretty amazing that you were able to keep up with an enemy that had powers when you didn't. You need to stop selling yourself short. Like I said before, you're here for a reason, Serena. You've been nothing but amazing so far, and... I need you around, y'know? Now come on, let's get back to camp and pack our stuff. We can reach Pewter City in a couple hours if we keep on the move, okay?"

Ash then stood, offering Serena his hand with a warm smile. Serena looked up and grabbed it, managing to smile back a bit as she did. With a light tug, Ash helped the honey-blonde to her feet. Using Ash's pull as an initiator, Serena wrapped her arms around the young Guardian, hugging him.

"Thank you, Ash..." she whispered, resting her head on his free shoulder.

"Don't... mention it..." he awkwardly answered, expecting neither the hug nor the heartfelt tone in her voice. He slowly placed his arms around her, one awkwardly snaking its way to her long locks of wavy hair. "I'm just saying the truth..."

* * *

 _[Ferry to Kanto...]_

"Ughhhh..."

A pair of bespectacled eyes slowly opened, blinking multiple times before finishing the process. The first thing seen was a white ceiling adorned with white lights, in what looked like a mostly white room. Beeping machines could be heard, but Max didn't have to look at them to know where he was; besides, turning his head that much would surely agitate the dull headache that currently plagued his cranium. His only question was how? How did he end up in a hospital bed? He didn't remember much, his most recent memory being searching the ferry for May.

"You're awake?" asked a nearby voice.

Deciding his own sister was worth turning his head for, he glanced at May, who was a few feet away, in a similar condition as him: laying on a hospital bed. Max stared at May, his confusion visible to the brunette.

"Do you remember how we got here?" asked May, seeming to be in less pain than Max. "Because I don't."

"Neither... do I..." answered Max, managing to sit up in his bed. "All I remember is that we were on the ferry to Kanto. What happened to us? Why are we in a hospital...? Besides this annoying migraine, I feel fine. You?"

"I woke up with a headache too..." admitted May, still laying in her bed. "This is weird, Max."

"Yes... it is." concurred Max, grabbing his glasses from the table next to his bed. "I'm gonna go into the hallway and find out where we are. Wanna come?"

"I'll stay, just in case a nurse comes by or anything." said May, staying put. "Just don't go for too long... I don't know why, but this place is making me feel... uncomfortable."

"Ditto..."

With a little more effort than it usually would've taken, Max got out of his bed and made his way to the door. He couldn't help but feel on edge for some reason, his feelings about the situation running parallel with his sister's. Something didn't feel quite right, and that feeling only worsened when he reached the door and turned the knob, only to have its status as locked revealed to him. Before even alerting May of this new development, he retreated into his thoughts, hoping to get answers from the only other person who might have them.

 _"Gardevoir, what in the world is going on?"_

...

 _"Gardevoir?"_

...

Max reached for his belt, and much to his discomfort, the two pokemon he carried with him at all times were nowhere to be found. Something was definitely wrong, he thought. It was undeniable at this point, as hospitals rarely handled people's pokemon if they were already contained in pokeballs.

"Max..." called May, from across the room. Max turned around, finding a worried expression on the brunette's face as she began to get out of her own bed. "I just realized... Glaceon's not with me. And I just saw you feel your belt... your pokemon are missing too, yeah? Why would a hospital take our pokemon?"

"I don't kno-"

"Because you're not in just any hospital, honey." answered a new voice, from behind Max.

Both Maple siblings stared at the one and only door in the room, and silently watched as the previously locked knob turned. Max made way for the person entering: a nurse. She looked fairly normal, being a middle aged woman in white attire. The warm smile on her face did nothing to defrost the icy stares of suspicion that were being sent her way by May and Max, however.

"You're in our boat's five star medical ward." continued the nurse, clasping her hands together. "Hi, I'm Nurse Cathy. We brought you here after several other riders reported spotting both of you unconscious at the bottom of a staircase. This being a _five star_ establishment, we are required to take your pokeballs to ensure their advanced technology doesn't interfere with the transmission waves of our equally advanced medical gear. We only use new, state-of-the-art equipment here, so even I don't know all the details."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, Nurse Cathy," he began, folding his arms. "here's my first issue: pokeballs aren't considered advanced tech anymore. They haven't been since 1996, when Silph Co. first made them. I find it just a little hard to believe that your 'advanced medical gear' has problems being in the same room as them."

"Well, actually," replied Nurse Cathy, tilting her head. "the pokeball design has been revised numerous times over the years, they actually function differently quite than they did back then. According to a book I rented from my local library, the standard pokeball actually got upgraded a few years back. You see many workers at Silph Co. began to attempt to start their own private pokeball businesses, and in order to stop these ex-employees from becoming potential business rivals, Silph Co. restructured the pokeball with an entirely new operation system, complete with built in GPS and hand warmers, and radar-"

"Alright, we get it. Now, you say your machines are state-of-the-art..." stated May, raising an eyebrow. "But this machine right next to me literally says, in small, Times New Roman print, 'Made in China, 2004'. Care to explain, Nurse Cathy?"

"Honestly, May, don't even call her Nurse Cathy," continued Max, narrowing his eyes. "Her name tag says Nurse Erica for some strange reason."

"I borrowed my coworker's shirt!" exclaimed Nurse Cathy, sounding panicked. "I accidentally spilled some spicy lo mein on it during lunch today, heheh. And Ms. Maple, about the machines; you know the Chinese, ALWAYS pulling pranks! You can't trust 'em sometimes! I remember that one year that my husband and I took a trip to Lumiose City's Chinatown and we got punk'd out of our minds! Everyone there was scheming, it was absolutely unbearable! I remember one person tried to sell my husband some lemonade for 25 cents, but it was just water with food coloring! I don't take chances with them-"

"But your blatantly racist ass can trust them enough to chow on their cuisine to the point of ruining your shirt?" asked Max, tilting his head.

"I don't remember me ever telling you my last name." declared May, walking to Max's side.

Nurse Cathy looked at both siblings, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. She opened her mouth to speak, but alas, there was nothing more she could say to get them off her case. She closed her eyes, realizing the jig was surely up, though May and Max could have argued that the jig was never that believable to begin with.

"So, why don't you tell us who you really are, 'Nurse Cathy'?" asked Max. "And also, if you would be kind enough to tell us why... your..."

What caused Max to trail off was none other than Nurse Cathy opening her eyes, revealing something quite terrifying: irises gleaming with an orange glow. Nurse Cathy, her face expressionless, cast her gaze upon them, nearly immobilizing both siblings out of sheer intimidation. It was as if the moment her eyes took on the color, a demonic, otherworldly essence washed over the room, drastically changing the mood in an instant. May looked at Max, hoping this was something he'd seen before, but it didn't seem so; his eyes were just as wide as hers, his mouth agape.

"Why... your..." he repeated, blinking. "eyes... are... holy shi-"

Recognizing the probable danger in the situation, May took hold of Max's hand and briskly walked towards the door, hoping to escape before anything could happen. But unfortunately, such luck was nowhere to be found. A wall of dark energy materialized in front of the door almost instantly, blocking the only exit the room had. The Maples then turned around and saw the same energy amassing around Nurse Cathy, who was looking at them over her shoulder, her blank stare having turned into a sinister one.

"I commend you for seeing through my elaborate, carefully-constructed ruse." chuckled Nurse Cathy, her voice distorted. "But all you did was make things less interesting for me. No, I am not the nurse I claimed to be. I am a Dark Guardian, a servant of Master Brecht! Ohoho! This woman I possess, ohohoh, she was already a devout member of the Dark Order, an organization I know you both are familiar with. She and her brethren, how they waited for this day... the day that our Master would be free to share his ultimate wisdom with his steadfast followers! Now I, a spirit subsequently freed by the glorious liberation of my master from his seal, have granted her the power she had prayed to him for, the power to manipulate the physical manifestation of hatred and despair, the _power_ to wield the _ultimate_ _power_ , the power to wield Dark Aura! Now, as a merged being, I drink from the chalice of champions, I bathe in the falls of ferocity! Now, I bear the strength of the stallion, now, _I_ bear the tenacity of the tiger, NOW, I-"

"Refuse to stop talking." snapped Max, his eyes taking on a glow of their own. "Goodness gracious, Cathy or not, all you do is run your damn mouth. Enough already."

Max put a hand forward, and as soon as he did, several flames of Aura burst into existence around the Dark Guardian, engulfing her in its purifying light. But the situation was not solved that easily. The Dark Guardian emerged from the display of blue life energy, a protective coat of Dark Aura covering her body.

"You're weak, Maple." spat the Dark Guardian, taking more steps forward. "I was born to win, for I am a hardened warrior forged in the heat of battle! My will is ironclad! You have not scaled the mountains of might, nor have you bested the trials of tribulations! Cathy and I are one now, bearing twice the hatred, and twice the gusto! You thought an attack of that caliber was enough to defeat me?"

"Nope, but check _this_ out." said Max coolly, taking a step backward.

Max stared the Dark Guardian down for a few seconds, the tension in the room rising. And then, he stared some more. And some more. And _then_... he stared some more. Right when the Dark Guardian was about to lose her patience, it finally happened: Max bolted out the door, the barrier on it having disappeared during his "unsuccessful" attack earlier. In actuality, he hadn't planned on actually fighting this new challenger, for it wouldn't have ended well considering he barely knew how to use Aura offensively anymore. All he needed to do was distract the Dark Guardian enough to open up the exit and get out of there, which he had successfully done without much trouble.

May, (who wasn't in on Max's impeccable plan) could only follow his example, sprinting out the door a split second after he did. As soon as she exited the room, May spotted three pokeballs on the floor, left completely unattended. Wondering how Max could've missed three red and white objects on a brown, tiled floor, she quickly scooped them into her palms and rushed down the hall, following her brother. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, and right when her endurance was beginning wane, she saw Max make a hard left into a different wing up ahead. May reached the turn, and found the 19 year-old right there, catching his breath.

"That was pretty smooth, Max, not gonna lie." she gasped, leaning against the wall. "Now what do we do?"

"Well, it looks like we actually _are_ still on the ferry..." panted Max, recognizing the look of the hallways. "So I guess the best thing to do is get to the deck. That's a nice, relatively crowded place. Cathy won't be able to find us easily there..."

"What even _was_ all that?" asked May, handing Max two of the three pokeballs. "Was she really...?"

"Look, now's not the time for the full explanation, and even I don't know _everything_." growled Max, grabbing the pokeballs. "But yes, I think she was definitely the real deal, like the ones I read about in the book. I mean, it was kinda obvious after she started using that reddish orange Aura..."

"Okay, so what are we doing just _running_? Don't you think there'll be more of them on the ship? I don't think getting to the deck will solve anything, not for long at least. The best way to get away from her is probably-"

"YOU _CAN'T_ GET AWAY FROM ME!" thundered Cathy's voice, echoing throughout the halls. "I'VE GOT THE TRACKING SKILLS OF THE YOUTHFUL BLOODHOUND, THE INSTINCTS OF AN AMAZON! MY DRIVE TO SUCCEED SURPASSES THAT OF THE HUNTING SHE-WOLF!"

May and Max both glanced around the corner, both siblings catching a glimpse of orange light glimmering down the hall. Cathy was close, very close.

"Continue." prompted Max, looking back at May.

"The best way to escape is for Gardevoir to teleport us out of here." stated May, doing her best to remain calm. "When you tell Gardevoir where to take us, do not say it out loud; that way, we won't have to worry about being followed. Quick, before she catches up with us."

Max nodded and tossed Gardevoir's ball into the air, and in a flash of white light, the Embrace Pokemon was present. Gardevoir, who'd heard everything May had said, prepared herself to use Teleport, but before she initiated the move, she turned to Max.

 ** _"Where to?"_**

 _"Anywhere!"_ replied Max, the orange light that was down the hall mere seconds ago now dangerously close. _"Just get us out of here!"_

Gardevoir nodded and whisked the Maple siblings away, just in time to avoid the torrent of Dark Aura that had engulfed the hallway mere seconds after their departure. Cathy arrived with the attack, aware that her targets had teleported away with the use of Max's Gardevoir, whom she had _so_ carefully hidden along with the rest of their pokemon. With a squeeze of her clenched fist, she dismissed her Dark Aura, teeth grit in pure rage.

"They eluded me, teleporting to parts unknown..." she whispered, glaring at the ceiling. "WEAKLINGS! YELLOW-BELLIED SCUM! THEY COULD NOT STAND THEIR GROUND! THEY WERE UNABLE TO TANGO WITH I, I WHO BEARS THE WILL OF THE WILDEBEEST, THE DRIVE OF THE DRAGOON, THE MIND OF THE-"

* * *

 _[? ? ?]_

In an instant, May and Max found themselves in an entirely new area, one vastly different from the ferry they were on. Both May and Max fell onto all fours, giving themselves moments to recollect their composure after such a strenuous situation. Once her heartbeat steadied, May looked at the ground beneath her, noticing green blades of grass sprinkled with rays of sunlight. She then looked upwards, revealing a thick canopy of tree branches and leaves, a light breeze keeping them in a constant dance. It was a beautiful sight, truly a reminder of the beauty of nature.

"Whew... Thanks, Gardevoir." sighed Max, returning Gardevoir to her ball. "Now... where are we?"

"Hey!" shouted a voice in the distance, prompting both siblings to turn to their right.

In the distance was a boy in a straw hat, white shirt, and shorts, with a butterfly net strapped to his back. He had a large, overly-excited grin on his face, which only served to make May uncomfortable and Max annoyed. He approached the Maples, eyes much wider than they needed to be and pep in his step. He stopped when he was about 10 feet away, surprisingly allowing the siblings some space to breathe.

"I'm Bug Catcher Rick! You have pokemon! C'mon! Let's battle 'em!" he exclaimed, waving his net from side to side. "Go, Weedle!"

"...We're in Viridian Forest." deduced May, watching with limited interest as Bug Catcher Rick's level 6 Weedle graced the battlefield with its presence.

"Okay Weedle, let's get this party start with a String Sho-"

"Yeah, we are." agreed Max, rolling his eyes. "Alright, this is a pretty good place to be. We're close to Pewter City, which means we're close to Brock's house. I'm sure Brock can help us get to Celadon by tomorrow, if he isn't busy. Regardless, there's no way we can reach Celadon on foot in one day, we'll need somewhere to stay overnight..."

"HEY! I'm Bug Catcher Ri-"

"Yeah, that seems like the best idea. After what just happened... I'm a little afraid to travel at night. If we make good time, we could get to Brock's house by sunset." said May. "I haven't been here in a while, but I'm pretty sure Pewter City is... *points forward* ...that way."

"You have pokemo-"

"I think that's right... Eh, if we get lost, we'll just check the map on my pokedex." replied Max, walking forward.

"C'mon! Let's ba-"

"That works too." concurred May, departing with Max. "It'll be really nice to see Brock again. It's been so long... Oh, also, now that we're safe; if you could explain why we were just attacked on the ferry, I'm all ears."

"My Weedl-"

"Sure thing." replied Max, adjusting his glasses.

The pair then walked off, heading deeper into the wooded depths of the forest. Unfortunately they had seemed to have completely forgotten the presence of one other person, a person who was not at all pleased with the way things had just gone down. He watched May and Max walk away, flabbergasted to the nth degree.

"Wha- WHAT THE FUCK?!" roared Bug Catcher Rick, his voice cracking.

It didn't make sense to him. He had done all the essentials: Establish eye contact, approach, challenge; yet there they were, walking away, their voices were barely audible at this point. Why hadn't it worked? He decided to try again.

"Hey!" he cried, desperate to test his might. "You have pokemon! C'MON. LET'S BATTLE 'EM. My name's Bug Catcher Rick and I'd like to baaaaaaattllllllle!"

* * *

 _[Elsewhere...]_

"Rise and shine, my little pets..."

A brown haired girl woke from her slumber, an immediate response to the voice. She opened her eyes, preparing for the same sensation she always felt when waking, the pain of lights far too bright invading her retinas. She handled it easier than most would, her blue eyes only squinting for the first few seconds before acclimating, like they always did. As the blinding effect of the lights died down, she hoped the same hope she did every morning; that the process wouldn't halt halfway. But alas... it did. In the years since her capture, her vision had declined more and more by the day. Perhaps it was the fault of the lighting, or maybe it was how she'd been treated... the answer didn't matter. Nothing did anymore.

Though her vision was near-gone, there were a few things she could always recognize, those being the sight of the boy in the next room over, and the white-coated man responsible for waking her, his thin frame visible at the entrance of the room. She sat up, deciding standing would be a waste of her strength; something she held in high value nowadays.

"It's a sad day..." uttered Dr. Feinberg, his yellow grin contradicting his words. He took a few steps into the room, hands behind his back. "A sad day indeed."

The brunette looked to her left, through the clear wall. Her only friend, the boy on the other side, was but a blur in her eyes, but she could make out the sight of him rising to his feet. She watched as he approached the wall separating his room from hers, banging it with his fist in hatred.

"Ah Nathan... I will miss that _fiery_ attitude of yours..." sighed Feinberg, his glasses shining. "And Rosalina... I will miss your _cute_ little visage... if only you could see how much of a woman you've become under my care... If only you could _see_ at all, heheh. But that's neither here nor there..."

Rosa Higgins, now 17 years old, glared at Dr. Feinberg, put off by both his words, and his general presence. He rarely ever set foot in the rooms he kept them in, usually communicating over the loud speaker, which was always set a notch or two past appropriate volume. To see him standing in the same room as her could only mean bad news, that much she was sure of.

"I see. Silent as ever, truly the opposite of when you arrived here." observed Feinberg, taking a step closer. "You're probably wondering why I've come to you two today. Though it pains me to say... it's time for you to spread your elegant wings and leave the nest. Tomorrow, as per the Commander's orders, the two of you will be sent to Lord Kamerion's base, all the way in the Sinnoh region, to begin the final leg of the beautiful metamorphosis you've undergone in the past two years. There, you will no longer be restricted by the rules of I, father bird. You will be free to walk the halls, respected and revered by our ranks as the very first of your kind, the elites of the elites... but only after some... _strict_ conditioning."

Feinberg took a step closer to Rosa and knelt to her level, making sure he was close enough so that every rank, humid breath that crept from his mouth could lay its essence on her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, alternating between loose and firm grips.

"But I must warn you..." he continued, staring into the brunette's dull pupils. "Lord Kamerion and I are very _different_ men. You may find serving under him to be even more of a hell than living here... Especially _you_ , my cute little darling. You see, Lord Kamerion's obsession for women with brown hair and blue eyes is, in my opinion, one of his defining traits. I think it not uncommon for pretty little dolls like you to be a little _more_ than just his subordinates. I'd rather not go into detail, but I'm sure your imagination is expansive enough to paint the picture in your powerful little mind... But let's hope that image doesn't become a reality, wouldn't you agre-"

A brilliant display of orange light accompanied with a wave of heat cut Feinberg's words short, both phenomenon coming from the room to the left. This happening only caused Feinberg to burst into laughter and walk towards the room's exit, while Rosa silently rose to her feet, sighing. She shakily walked towards the wall separating her room from Nate's, seemingly unbothered by the sweltering heat that seemed to grow with every step she took. Once she reached the wall, she placed her hand on the glass and closed her eyes, her mind shutting out the maniacal laughter that mercilessly echoed throughout the room.

"Ohohohohoh, ohoh, oh yes..." cackled Dr. Feinberg, looking into the eye-scanner that controlled the lock on the room's door. "I will miss you two _dearly_..."

As Feinberg departed, the heat and light died down, revealing Nate standing on the other side of the glass, head bowed and eyes closed. Holding back tears, Rosa opened her eyes, and through clouded vision, she was able to make out one thing: Nate's hand pressed against the glass, lined up with her own.

* * *

 _[Pewter City...]_

The Sun was mere moments away from setting by the time Ash and Serena had finally arrived in Pewter City. After their victory against the Dark Guardians in the forest, they returned to their camp, packed their things, and kept moving, fortunate enough to reach their destination without any more battles along the way. But of course, this in no way meant the walk wasn't an exhausting one. They had succeeded in reaching the city before nightfall, but at the cost of being absolutely exhausted when they arrived. So exhausted that they ignored every single sideways stare that they, two young adults in face-concealing hoods and archaic cloaks, received from both bystanders and police officers alike.

"So..." yawned Serena, looking at the different houses in the area. "Which one's Brock's?"

"This one." answered Ash, stopping in his tracks.

Serena looked at the house in front of them, only to see that it was the Pewter Gym. She removed her hood and looked at Ash, who removed his own hood as well. He looked back, confused as to why she looked so... confused.

"What?" he asked. "You didn't know Brock's family runs the Pewter City Gym?"

"No, I did... but I didn't know they _live_ in it..." explained Serena, wide eyed.

 _ **"Of course they don't live IN it, what, you think they sleep on fuckin' rocks?"** _ snapped Pikachu, glaring at Serena. _ **"Huh? Yeah? That's how you think they live their damn lives? Like cave peopl-"**_

 _"Pikachu, I will fucking curb-stomp you if you don't cool it, pronto."_ warned Ash, balling his fists. He then chuckled and turned to Serena, finding humor in her misunderstanding. "No, no, no, they don't live _in_ the gym, there's a house behind it."

"Oh... I don't even know why I said that, hehe..." she giggled, shaking her head. "I guess it's just been a long day."

"It really has." agreed Ash, walking past the gym into its back yard. "But now we just have to go in, get through the inevitable 'Ash, you're alive?!' scenes, and then we can get some rest... and food."

"That sounds nice... I haven't slept on a bed in years..." sighed Serena, following Ash.

The pair walked through the open field between the gym and the house behind it, their tired, dragged out steps finally coming to a halt at the front porch. Before knocking on the door, he looked at Serena, who responded with a sweet smile. Getting over the last second nerves that seemed to come out of nowhere, he brought his hand to the door, knocking on it thrice. At first, there was no answer. But finally, the sounds of footsteps approaching from the other side became audible, followed by the unmistakable sound of the door's lock being opened. The door slowly swung open, revealing a pair of seemingly closed eyes that Ash knew all too well.

They weren't Brock's, however. They belonged to a young boy, no older than seven. He looked up at Ash with fear in his eyes, but seemed to only blush at the sight of Serena. Ash grinned.

"Billy?" he asked, reaching down to roughen the child's hair. "Woah, you're so big now! I haven't seen you in-"

Billy, the youngest of Brock's brothers, swiftly dodged Ash's hand and took a step back, trembling. Ash raised an eyebrow. The 7 year-old then turned around, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"BROCCCCKKKK! I opened the door again! Guess who's at our door?! _Jesus_ is at our door!" hollered Billy, suddenly seeming very excited. He then glanced over his shoulder at Serena once more, his cheeks growing even more rosy. "And he brought an ANGEL with him! We're going to _heaven_ , Brock!"

While Serena simply chuckled at Billy's words, Ash gingerly ran a hand through his raven hair and beard, muttering something about needing a haircut as soon as possible.

"Billy, what did I tell you about opening the door without an adult with you?" sighed Brock, coming into view. After gesturing for Billy to go to the living room, he focused his attention on the two people at his door. "Look, you cosplayers really need to... need to... need... to..."

Brock had trailed off, unable to process what he was seeing. Sure, there was a stunningly beautiful young woman at his door, but for once, that wasn't the center of his attention. Instead, he found himself staring at the black-haired, tan-skinned man with a Pikachu on his shoulder, a sight that immediately brought back memories of a friend long gone. Ash smiled, which only deepened Brock's awe-fueled trance, as the raven-haired Guardian's smile was just one of those things deemed unmistakable by both friends and family alike. Realizing Brock was probably going to be staring for a while, Ash cleared his throat to snap him out of it.

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry." apologized Brock, scratching his head. "You just... you just really remind me of a close friend that I lost a few years ago... sorry for staring. How can I help you?"

"Brock..." laughed Ash, parting his messy locks of hair to reveal his z-shaped birthmarks. "It _is_ me."

Brock opened his mouth for a second, before curving it into a hard frown.

"Whoever you are," he growled, eyebrows furrowed. "you should know I really don't appreciate you cosplaying as Ash Ketchum. Do you realize how disrespectful that is to me, one of his closest friends at the time he passed? You're sick, you know that? Please, remove yourself from my property."

Ash rolled his eyes.

 _"Pikachu, shock some sense into him."_ he ordered.

 ** _"Is that truly necessary?"_** asked Lucario exasperatedly. _**"It is understandable for him to have difficulty believing that-"**_

 ** _"SHAZAM!"_** hollered Pikachu, sending a weak shock in Brock's direction.

The bolt hit Brock square in the face, causing his hair to stand on end more than it already did. Stunned from the hit, Brock fell onto his back, while Ash and Pikachu burst into laughter. Serena, however, didn't find the action quite as humorous, kneeling to Brock's side to make sure he was alright. After feeling for his pulse, she looked up at Ash and Pikachu, pouting.

"Why'd you guys do that?" she asked. "You could've hurt him..."

"He's fine, trust me." laughed Ash, wiping a tear from his eye. "Right Brocko?"

Brock quickly sat up, eyes fixed on the young man in front of him, examining him closely. That Thunderbolt had definitely been a familiar sensation, from the many times it had stopped him from drooling over Nurse Joys, Officer Jennys, and female gym leaders. He looked back and forth at the smiling faces of Ash and Pikachu, and for a second, he saw the same faces, only five years younger, looking down at him. It was then that the revelation made itself clear to him. Hands trembling, he stood up and placed a hand on Ash's free shoulder, and from that position, pulled the Guardian into a tight hug, one of the tightest our hero had ever experienced. Ash returned the hug, his grin stretching from ear to ear in joy.

"It's good to see you again." he sighed, patting Brock's back.

"It really _is_ you... Ash... How...? I-...I don't understand, they said you were dead..." uttered Brock, his voice choked up. " _Everyone_ said you were dead..."

"Oh please... Don't listen to everything you hear." replied Ash, ending the hug. "This is _me_ we're talking about... I always come back somehow."

"Ahahah ahaha... Yeah... After all those adventures back in the day, I guess I should've known better, huh?" laughed Brock, rubbing the tears from his eyes. His hands were still shaking. "But what actually happened that day, then? Where have you been? If you were alive all this time, why didn't you return sooner?"

"It's a long story, Brock... is it possible I can come inside to explain? Also, can you help me cut my hair?"

"Yeah yeah, of course you can come in." said Brock, eagerly making way for Ash to enter. "You and... and... and this _divine_ beauty serendipitously sent by the heavens to grace us with her unmatchèd beauty! My deepest apologies, daughter of Aphrodite, I was so caught up in my dear friend's return from the deathrealm that I failed to award you your unquestionably due praise sooner! Greetings my sparkling queen, I am Brock, a noble man of humble upbringing! From the bottom of my heart I ask for your hand in marriag-"

"This is Serena," said Ash, grabbing Brock (who had gotten down on one knee during his speech) by the ear. "and she's with me."

"With you, or _with_ you?" asked Brock, snapping out of his stupor.

 _ **"That IS the question these days, isn't it?"**_ noted Lucario.

 ** _"Lucario coming from left field with the BURN! Damn, a savage lurks among us."_** joked Pikachu. _**"But nah, we only endorse Team May here."**_

 _"Both of you need to be pushed down a flight of stairs."_ thought Ash, narrowing his eyes.

 ** _"I do not possess a body for you to push."_** retorted Lucario. _**"This side-quest has made sure of that."**_

 _ **"AND HE DOES IT AGAIN."**_

Deciding to ignore his pokemon and answer Brock's question, Ash glanced at Serena, who was staring at him, diligently waiting for him to answer. This moment of eye contact, of course, prompted Ash's face to start heating up, his palms beginning to sweat. What could he say? He'd love to say that yes, she was _with_ him, but that wasn't the truth, at least not yet. But something told him saying anything otherwise would work against him. It was then that he scolded himself; his goal wasn't to date Serena, it was to save the world, right? But it wasn't like he could just ignore his feelings either, right? His inner conflict on the matter became clear when he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"We um, well, I, I- I- well, you see, kinda, I think, um, well, I... Look, she's part of my group, Brock. I need her around." he stammered, beads of sweat forming in his forehead.

 _ **"Well played."**_ commended both Pikachu and Lucario, their voices glazed in a thick coat of sarcasm.

Ash did his best to gauge Serena's reaction with his peripheral vision, but from what he could see, her expression was unreadable.

"Well, regardless, you're both welcome inside." said Brock, sensing the awkward tension in the air. "I'll cook you guys up some dinner, and after you fill me in on what's happened, I'll gladly help you cut your hair Ash."

"Thanks..." sighed Ash, following Brock inside.

Serena followed Ash in, and once his back was turned to her, she let her true feelings take over her face. She neither smiled nor frowned, biting her lip instead. She didn't know whether to be upset with his answer to Brock's question or not. She desperately wanted him to confirm that they were _something_ special, but so far, he didn't have any tangible reason to say such things, nor did she have much of a reason to expect him to.

But perhaps it was time to change that.

They were most likely going to spend the night at Brock's house, and would undoubtedly have some time alone at some point. All she had to do was seize the opportunity, whenever it chose to present itself. She put a hand on her chest, smiling. It was time to finish the mission that had begun that fateful morning, five years ago.

...

 _[Two hours later...]_

"And so, I'm basically in the process of finding the other members of The Fellowship. Once I gather 'em all, we'll find out where Master Brecht is and defeat him, thus saving the world from eternal darkness and destruction." explained Ash, watching in the mirror as snippet after snippet of hair was cut from his head. "And after that's done, you best believe I'm challenging the Kalos Elite Four, since I never really got around to doing that."

"Wow... that sure was a lot to take in." sighed Brock, carefully trimming Ash's hair with his scissors. "But I think if anyone's able to take on a challenge like that, it's you. You're literally the luckiest guy I've ever met, you've survived just about every life-threatening situation that you've ever found yourself in."

"Yeah, I know... it's still a little overwhelming though. I barely know where to start, to be honest. I don't really know who the enemy truly is besides Master Brecht, or how the hierarchies of neither the Dark Guardians nor the so called 'Dark Order' works. I'm really hoping that all clears up as things go along."

"I'm sure it will..." assured Brock, reaching for the blow dryer. "I just wish I could help you out, like the good old days. But if that Mark of the Fellowship you talked about didn't appear on me, I guess it just isn't in the cards. Honestly, it's probably better that way. Now that my parents are retired and traveling the world together, I have to stay and run the gym."

"No kidding? You're the Gym Leader again?" asked Ash, raising his voice so Brock could hear him over the blow dryer. "What happened to Forrest? And the rest of your siblings, really? The only ones I've seen around the house are Billy and Tilly."

"Yolanda, Salvadore, Tommy, Cindy, Suzie, and Timmy all left to become Pokemon Trainers and Coordinators, so they're all off on their own journeys. They stop by every once in a while, mainly for holidays and such. Forrest on the other hand..." Brock paused, taking a deep breath. "Forrest resigned from being the Gym Leader to follow his true passion."

"His true passion?"

"About 4 years ago he really got into hip-hop and R&B. Now he's pursuing a career in producing. He spends a lot of time in the basement making beats on his computer, and when he's not there, he's out in the city handing out mixtapes and promoting his SoundCloud account. I'm trying to support him, because in the end it's his life and he can do what he wants with it... but still... sometimes I wish he'd pursue something a little more... lucrative."

"...Nah."

"What?"

"I think the best thing to do is to support his dream 100 percent." said Ash, completely serious. "Music is an art, Brock. We all need music, and we all need art, it's how we express ourselves. I speak for both Pikachu and myself when I say that you should help him rise to the top and run the entire hip-hop game. Strong support from family goes a long way in keeping a young artist off the streets."

"That's true... but what does Pikachu have to do with all this?" asked Brock.

"Uhhhhm, you see, we kinda..."

* * *

 ** _"Yo, when the are they gonna finish cutting his damn hair? I'm bored as hell out here."_**

Having been separated from Ash after dinner, Pikachu found himself laying on the floor of Brock's living room, where absolutely nothing entertaining was going on. Billy and Tilly had gone to take naps in their rooms, leaving Serena as the only person for him to interact with. But she didn't remain an option for long, for she had curled up into a fetal position and fallen asleep on the couch mere moments after Brock and Ash went to the bathroom to cut the latter's hair. Of course, Lucario was always an option in terms of someone to talk to, but without Ash there to mediate, there was very little Pikachu could actually talk with the Aura Pokemon about.

Having lost hope for any entertainment for the next half hour, Pikachu resorted to the only thing that was always able to keep things exciting in his life: rhymes.

 ** _"Yo, fuck Feraligatrs, tell 'em 'seeya later'."_** he began, staring at the ceiling. **_"They always bein' haters, cuz I'm makin' all this paper. I pull up with the bills, diamonds in my grills. Watchin' Henny spill while I pop like 30 pills. Absolute gangster, number 1 prankster. Grass-type in the club, man, nobody smellin' danker. Now I just robbed 12 banks, still sippin' on my drank-"_**

 ** _"Pikachu."_** echoed Lucario's voice, sounding very indifferent towards Pikachu's rapping.

 _ **"Bruh. I was about to go in. Why'd you interrupt?"**_

 _ **"My apologies, but I sense two familiar presences approaching... presences that I believe it is best you take note of."**_

 _ **"*sigh* This better be worth it..."**_ grumbled Pikachu, sitting up.

The yellow mouse then closed his eyes, his ears perking up. Since he was neither a human nor a Lucario, it took much more concentration for Pikachu to harness any Aura-related skills. But due to five years of training, he was able to access them far quicker than any other Pikachu lucky enough to be an Aura-sensitive. As he extended his senses to the area surrounding Brock's house, he did sense two life-forms approaching, though their Auras didn't ring any bells in his mind. At this realization, he opened his eyes and exhaled.

 _ **"Yeah, there's people coming, but they're not familiar to me at all."**_ he admitted.

 _ **"But... oh, how foolish of me. Of course you cannot recognize their Auras, you were not trained in the ways of the Aura the last time you encountered them... Fine. Looking out the window will suffice."**_

 ** _"Dude, I just wanna rap..."_** groaned Pikachu, reluctantly climbing up to the living room window. As soon as his black eyes peered through the glass, his eyes widened, his mood doing a complete 180. _**"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-"**_

* * *

"We're finally here..." sighed May, Brock's house just a few yards away. "No thanks to you."

"Listen, how was I supposed to know my pokedex's battery was dead?" snapped Max, defensively. "We wouldn't have needed it's map if you hadn't pointed us in the wrong direction!"

"And if you'd have taken Gardevoir to a Pokemon Center for once, that Teleport she used to get us away from the ferry wouldn't have been her last one!"

"HOW WAS _I_ SUPPOSED TO KNOW SHE WAS ALMOST OUT OF TELEPORTS?" roared Max, waving his hands in the air. "I don't take Gardevoir to the Pokemon Center because she's so strong she usually never gets hurt in battles! Can't say the same for that glass-cannon of a Glaceon, now can we?"

"How was I supposed to know? Howwwww was I supposed to knowwwwww?" mimicked May, repeatedly rocking her head from right to left during her Max impression. "And don't bring Glaceon into this. Just accept that if you just recharged both your pokemon and your pokedex, we would've been here way earlier."

"I'll bring whoever I damn well please into this, thank you very much." declared Max, head held high. "Maybe _you_ should've recharged your _face_ -"

Max paused for a second, spotting something moving in one of the windows of Brock's house. At first it looked like a yellow rectangle, but after adjusting his glasses, his vision became a little clearer, revealing it to be a yellow _mouse_. As quickly as he could, he felt for the Auras inside the house, but immediately had to stop himself; besides the Pikachu in the window, there were five other Auras in the house. Four of the other five were around normal levels for humans, but one... one was so powerful that even attempting to focus on it overloaded the teen's mind instantly.

 _"Oh no."_

 ** _"What do you mean, 'oh no'?"_** sounded the voice of Gardevoir, entering Max's mind. _**"You remember the talk we had. It it's him, it's him. You can't control May's life, Max. Don't you dare stop walking towards that house."**_

 _"Fine... it's not like we can just turn back now anyway... but gosh, how the hell do things just line up like this?"_

"You're so annoying..." hissed May, unaware of Max's inner dialogue.

* * *

"Well Ash... if you really think I should, I guess I'll put some more effort into helping Forrest out." said Brock, exiting the bathroom.

"Yeah man. You gotta let him do his thing." said Ash, exiting the b throom with a hairstyle similar to the one he sported in his Trainer days, with the hair just an inch or two longer. "If it's his dream, then it's his dream. I always wanted to be a Pokemon Master, and back then, nobody even knew what the heck that even was. Now look at me! It's all about positive attitude, and it's hard to have that when no one's supporting you. Now, I think I'm gonna follow Serena's lead and take a nap-"

 ** _"Bro!"_** called Pikachu, sprinting across the living room towards Ash. _**"Someone's at the door! Someone's at the motherfucking door! "**_

"Okay, okay, who's at the door?" asked Ash, confused as to why Pikachu was so excited.

"It's probably Forrest. He forgets his house keys pretty often." stated Brock, heading towards the door with Ash following.

Suddenly, the door bell rang, the jingle ringing loud enough to wake Serena from her sleep. The honey-blonde gingerly rubbed her eyes and peeked over the backrest of the couch, catching a glimpse of a cleanly shaven Ash, with trimmed hair. She blushed, admiring how much better he looked after the makeover. But unfortunately, her fawning was cut short by the light knock on the door that followed the door bell's jingle.

"Hm." hummed Brock, tilting his head as he unlocked the door. "That knock sounds kinda light to be Forrest..."

 _ **"Brock you fuck just open the damn door!"**_ roared Pikachu, hopping up and down on Ash's shoulder. _**"Gosh, what's taking so long? I could learn to read faster than it's taking this man to OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!"**_

 _"What's gotten into you?"_ thought Ash, glaring at Pikachu.

Brock then opened the door, revealing who was on the other side. Serena tried to see who it was, but the couch she was on did not provide a suitable angle to see anything besides Ash, Pikachu, and Brock's reactions, which were... stunned, to say the least. She looked at Brock's face first: his eyebrows were raised and his mouth slightly open, but aside from that, he didn't look as surprised as he did when Ash had reunited with him earlier. She looked at Pikachu next, immediately noticing that the electric-type was by far the happiest she'd ever seen him since she freed him and Ash from the Tree of Beginning.

And speaking of Ash, our hero looked like he'd seen a ghost of some sort.

His face wasn't nearly as expressive as Brock's or Pikachu's, just... pale. He wasn't moving, which only served to worry the honey-blonde. Realizing that whatever was at the door was something she needed to see for herself, she rolled off the couch and landed on her feet. But, as she stood up, the truth was laid bare to her. As she rose, she watched as a young woman with brown hair collapsed onto Brock, slid through the Gym Leader's arms, and landed in the safety of Ash's. She was unconscious.

"May!" cried a new voice, just a split second after the brunette had fallen.

A teen with oxford blue hair and glasses rushed inside, immediately grabbing hold of the girl's face. He brushed her hair away from her face, revealing eyes that were barely open, no sign of awareness of her surroundings present in them.

"Max?" asked Brock, completely lost as to what had just happened. "What's happened to May? What are you guys even doing here?"

"She's just... surprised, is all." answered Max, sighing. "Good to see you again... Ash."

Max looked up at Ash and Brock, noticing that, similiar to when they had opened the door form him and May, they were staring at him as if he had grown a second head. Max raised an eyebrow, unable to understand why they were still looking at him. But as soon as Max looked back down at his sister, and saw a blue, glowing number 5 on her head, things stared to piece together. He looked back up at them, and could see a blue glow reflecting in their eyes, undoubtedly coming from his own forehead.

 ** _"NO FREAKING WAY."_** yelled Pikachu, ecstatic at yet another unforeseen turn of events. **_"IT JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER, EH BRO?"_**

Pikachu turned to Ash, waiting for a response. But alas, the rodent never received one. Our hero, May still in his arms, was too busy staring at Serena, who was still peeking over the backrest of the couch, her cyan eyes returning Ash's gaze. And, just like earlier in the day... her expression was completely unreadable.

But what he sensed in her Aura said it all.

* * *

 **Okay so I'm writing this Author's Note, and I just woke up, so it's probably not gonna be all that coherent. So... Any guesses on what Ash is sensing from Serena? C'mon, give me your best guesses. Lol. Anyway, that's that. Two more members of The Fellowship added... although the situation could've been better for our young, romantically confused hero. What'll happen now? You'll find out soon enough... *laughs evilly*. This chapter was really difficult for me to write, I guess it's just me getting back into the groove of things... again. But I'm back... again. I hope it came out decently well.**

 **Seeya all next time,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey all! DarkSlash9 back again with another chapter! Last chapter ended with May and Max arriving at Brock's house, finally meeting up with Ash and Serena! It's time to pick up where that left off, because oooh weee, that's awkward. This chapter takes place completely in Brock's house, and is, in my opinion, a bit slower than usual, but I swear, it has to be like this. I've got most of the chapters for this story planned out and outlined in a notebook, so trust me on this, any slowness is always countered with goodness eventually.**

 **Now, on to more pressing matters...**

 **Q &A!**

GeorgeD117

I must ask, will we see Haxs? I feel I know the answer but it would be nice to get confirmation.

 **Answer: Yup. Not for a while though.**

JamesLion15

After reading this story I couldn't help but enjoy what this story is becoming. I can't wait to see how this turns out, but I am curious...You said Ash will choose, (By our votes) will go through a Fire Emblem Fates type deal? I'm rather curious, what about the other side, you said the ending will be different depending on the pairing? Will it really be different, or will it be like the Mass Effect 3 endings? Would you write a side story telling the story from the other side? what about a third choice?

 **Answer: It'll pretty much be the same, just some dialogue differences and some different scenes depending on who wins. I wouldn't say the difference would be enough to write out the alternate ending too, but if enough people ask for it, I probably will.**

Tychon

Why does Pikachu remind me of my gang from seventh grade?

 **Answer: Because he's always on his gang shit, 100%.**

 **Okay! Enjoy the chapter, and, as always, give the Author's Note at the end a read!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon. ;o**

* * *

 **IX**

* * *

Night had fallen, countless stars illuminating the Kanto skies. With the moon being nearly full, it was no wonder to anyone why the moonlight seemed so bright that night, its serene glow infiltrating the windows of every home it could reach. The breeze, the cool, summer breeze... it swayed all greenery back and forth, both grass and trees alike. Pewter City was never a loud city to begin with, but on this night, it was a quiet that could in no way go unnoticed. The night was a beautiful one, one that some, if not most, would even call perfect...

Unless their name was Serena Yvonne.

She had watched as May Maple, the last person she'd expected to have been at the door, fell into Ash's arms, seeming to have lost consciousness as soon as she laid eyes upon him. In that moment, Ash had looked Serena right in the eye, and at that exact second, the ex Pokemon Performer realized that the night would no longer go in the direction she had hoped for. Frankly, she thought, it had then gained the possibility of going in the exact opposite.

Once Brock had snapped Ash out of his episode of complete silence, the both of them carried May up the stairs to a guest room, laying her in the bed. Serena had chosen not to follow them up, but could hear Max insisting his sister was completely fine and would wake up sooner or later. That was why her heart sank a little when only Max and Brock came down the stairs a few seconds afterwards, with Ash remaining upstairs. He hadn't come down since then, and with each second he spent up there, with a girl who was "completely fine", the more anxious Serena became. Right when she had considered going up to check on him, under the pretense of going to the bathroom, Max joined her in the living room. At first, the subsequent conversation they had was nothing more than small talk, but things changed when Max asked a certain question a few minutes in.

"So..." he said, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "What have you been up to these past years? How did you reunite with Ash?"

Serena, who had been relatively uninterested in the conversation before this question, looked at Max and frowned slightly.

"Well... After Ash 'died', I went back to Kalos. Pokemon Performing started to lose its luster to me, so I then went back home. I got a job at the local library, and worked there for a little over a year... until one day, when I found a bizarre book in the cart for returns. Considering how Ash was 'killed', it was impossible for me to simply re-shelf a book called ' _Aura Guardians: A Complete History_ '. I read it-"

"Pause. Uh, crap, I mean-... I'm sorry to interrupt," interjected Max, a sudden rise in intensity overtaking his tone. "but you say you found..."

Max quickly rose from the couch and trotted to his backpack, zipping open one of the many compartments. He fished his hand into it, pulling out an all too familiar blue book, the moonlight's everlasting glimmer giving it a mystical appearance.

"... _this_ book?" finished Max, holding it in front of Serena.

The honey blonde's eyes widened, the most awestruck of gasps sounding from her mouth. She reached forward and touched the cover of the book, looked up at Max, and quickly turned around and reached for her own backpack, which was placed nearby. She turned back around with her own copy of the book, a copy that seemed to match Max's in every way conceivable.

"Well how 'bout that..." muttered Max, staring at Serena's copy. "How in the world do you think _this_ happened?"

"Coincidence?" answered Serena, lamely shrugging her shoulders. "Fate? We both ended up being members of the Fellowship, so I guess it was just what _had_ to happen... in order for events to happen in way that'd allow for... for things to be the way they are, in terms of... the world being saved. By us. And Ash. Yes. ._."

"(T - T)"

"(ఠ్ఠ ˓̭ ఠ్ఠ)"

"Yep." chirped Max, evidently not satisfied by Serena's answer. "But fate or not, there had to be something that put these books where we'd find them, right? Fate only comes true if something _causes_ it to. I find it a little hard to believe that this happened by completely unrelated actions or complete chance, especially when this book is as rare as it is. Have you looked up this book online? Do you know how much these things cost?"

"I think I did..." replied Serena. "I remember it was something ridiculously out-of-whack, so I figured it was a typo or a joke."

"Nope. These books are worth approximately 470,000 dollars, _each_." revealed the Pokemon Trainer, his glasses reflecting the moonlight in the most anime of fashions. "There's not many copies of 'em, and there's even less justifiable reasons for a book this rare and valuable to be chucked into a library's return cart. And my copy? Mine literally just _appeared_ in my bookshelf one night. Yeah. They didn't even try to give me the same engaging and suspenseful discovery scene you got."

"So you think someone purposely set it all up...? That's possible too, I guess. But who would've done it?" thought Serena, putting a hand to her chin to ponder. _'"Well if it were anyone, I'd think it would be Ash's masters. One of them could just come to the physical world through yet unexplained means (I should ask Ash about that later...) and make sure we get the books, which they'd probably have a whole boatload of... but if that were so, then Ash would've already known me, Max, and... May, M e-Ma **x** &~m **A** y, *rolls eyes and sighs* were members of the Fellowship, because they would've told him. I should ask Ash... yeah... Then I'll have a reason to head upstairs and see what he's still doing up there!"_

Pumped that such a clutch plan had made itself available to her, Serena stood from the couch and gracefully walked over to the staircase, her legs only pausing when she heard Max Maple adjust his throat. She turned around, softly biting the inside of her lip as she pushed back mild waves of irritation. Max raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?" he asked flatly.

"I'm going to the bathroom, and then I'm gonna talk to Ash and see what he thinks about the books." she answered, barely skipping a beat.

Max skeptically stared at Serena, who, unfazed, stared back with a full-force poker face. But alas, facial expressions didn't have any capability of concealing one's Aura, and this was a fact Max was savvy to.

"No, you're going up to go see what Ash is up to with my sister, since he's been up there with her for a while now." he sighed, folding his arms. "Am I right?"

Serena's poker face gained enough EXP to reach level lv.36 and evolve into a stunned face upon Max's call out, her previously pursed lips opening slightly.

"Did you... did you just _read_ my mind?" she asked, feeling as if her personal space was being invaded.

"No, but being an Aura-user, I can tell when people are lying without much effort. Plus I'm pretty aware of my surroundings during key moments, like when I and those affiliated with me enter a building and such. Reactions and body language can write essays on the chemistry of a situation. Plus, you left your copy of the book on the couch here, instead of taking it with you." retorted Max, tilting his head knowingly. "Well, anyway, let's go. I'm pretty curious as to why he's still up there too."

Max rose to his feet, grabbed Serena's copy of the book, and casually walked to the stairs, gesturing for Serena to continue on up as he approached. Taking a moment to accept what had just happened for what it was, Serena stared off into the distance. Max Maple was smart. But not only was he smart, he was _perceptive_. She clearly wasn't going to get any sort of charade past him any time soon, that much was established. So, not even trying to hide the bitter embarrassment in her face, she turned around and took her book from him.

With Max following, Serena walked up the stairs. Once they reached the top, Serena paused, not knowing which room to go to. It was then that Max took the lead, heading down the hall to a door on the right. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but stopped himself, opting to just turn the knob and enter unannounced. Serena stood at his side, eagerly waiting to see what would be on the other side of the door. For some reason she could feel her heart racing, the same way it would if she were in danger. Sensing this tension from her, Max sighed and opened the door.

The room was dark, it being on the side of the house that the moon's light barely reached. But fortunately, there was a small plug-in night light in the corner, dimly illuminating the room with its purple light. The first thing both Max and Serena noticed was that the only living thing awake in the room was Pikachu, who looked at them with a jovial grin upon their entrance.

 ** _"Question of the day: Is this not the cutest shit y'all EVER seen?"_** whispered the mouse, perched on a nightstand. **_"I ship this shit like Amazon Prime, no lie."_**

Neither Serena nor Max could understand what Pikachu had truly said, their attention instead focused on Ash and May, who were both fast asleep. May was placed neatly under the blankets from the neck down, while Ash sat in a chair next to the bed, head leaned downward. From the position the chair was in, he seemed to have been watching May sleep, at least until he himself lost consciousness as well. Serena looked at Max to gauge his reaction, but the shining of his glasses (how they managed to gleam like that was truly beyond her comprehension, there was barely any light in the room to reflect) hid his eyes. But she didn't need knowledge of Max's reaction.

She knew how it made _herself_ feel.

She felt sad. She felt frustrated. She felt _jealous_. But at the same time, she felt ashamed. Was it right to be so upset? After all, May _did_ immediately pass out when she came. Was it right to be upset about Ash caring for a friend of his? But at the same time, she mused, he'd sat and watched over her until sleep overtook him. Care like that was more than friendship, it had to be. Otherwise, he would've come down with Brock and Max earlier.

"Well," muttered Max. "looks like they're asleep."

At the sound of Max's voice, Ash's head began to move, a soft groan sounding from him. His head slowly rose, his eyes half closed.

"Of course..." sighed Max.

 ** _"Son of a bitch!"_** growled Pikachu, glaring daggers at Max. _**"Look what you did! She was gonna wake up sooner or later and be like**_ **'Oh Ash you're here and older and you waited for me to wake up, you're so caring oh golly I missed you marry me please & thank you.'** _ **and then he'd be like**_ **'Yeah babe. Let's smash.'** _ **, but you and your dumbass glasses came in all shiny 'n shit and screwed it all up! Square the fuck up, I'll kill your ass-"**_

 _ **"Your level of hostility is vastly unwarranted..."**_ chimed Lucario's voice in Pikachu's mind, sounding annoyed. _**"Your half baked-... rather, your QUARTER-baked plan was-"**_

 ** _"Vastly unwarrant this quarter-baked dick, alright?"_** snapped Pikachu, one ear perking up.

 ** _"...Once I have gained a body, you will begin to see it unwise to holler such profanities in my direction."_**

 _ **"Can't take the heat? Don't enter the damn kitchen, kid. I protect the ideals that I hold close to my heart, at all costs! That's my Ninja Wa-"**_

 _"What the hell is wrong with_ you both _..._ _"_ groaned/thought Ash, his grogginess upon waking causing him to speak the thought aloud as well. "So damn annoying..."

Upon hearing his own voice, Ash's eyes widened, the young Guardian realizing there were more people in the room than he last remembered. Two more to be exact. He looked back and forth between these newcomers' their faces, his expression blank. Max had an eyebrow raised, but other than that, his stare was unreadable (partly due to his glasses' lenses being so darn reflective). But Serena... Serena looked _hurt_. Our hero felt a pit form in his stomach as he found himself unable to open his mouth and explain his simple mistake; Instead, he got absorbed into the cyclone of emotions that was recklessly swirling in her eyes, threatening to shed tears if left unchecked.

 _ **"It's amazing how his brain can just swap places with a slab of concrete at critical moments like these, am I right?"**_ snickered Pikachu, seeming to have dropped all hostilities.

 _ **"Indeed..."**_ sighed Lucario, tranquility returning to his voice.

Max cleared his throat.

"Well, we were curious as to-"

"No, no..." sighed a sleepy Ash, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't answer that. That wasn't directed at you two... *yawn* I'm sorry. There was an argument going on in my head... Pikachu and Lucario were... *sigh* look, I didn't mean to say that."

"What've you been doing up here?" asked Serena, cutting to the chase. Her stare then traveled to May. "Is she alright?"

"Physically, yes." answered Ash, sheepishly. Serena's face was straight, but he still sensed some hints of negativity coming from her. Regardless, she asked a question, and the full answer was due. "I've been up here so long because her _Aura_ isn't. It's stable, but at the same time, _unstable_. Real odd. I've been trying to understand what I'm sensing, but I ended up falling asleep before I could figure much ou-"

"She's been through a lot." said Max, bluntly. "That's what you're sensing."

Ash frowned, earning a slight glare from Max. Ignoring Max's changed expression, Ash continued speaking.

"What happened to her?" he asked, his concern as clear as day. "The type of... _scars_ I'm sensing in her are nothing to take lightl-"

"I'm not going to explain. It's not my place. You'll have to ask her when she wakes up." said Max, keeping things short and sweet. "I do, however, want to explain why May and I came here. We were supposed to attend a tournament in Celadon City, so we booked a ferry ride to take us to Kanto. Earlier today, on said ferry, May and I lost consciousness somehow, and when we woke up, we quickly found ourselves in confrontation with a nurse on the ferry, who revealed herself to be a Dark Guardian. With some quick thinking, we escaped and made our way here."

"Whoa, wait," interjected Ash. "how do you know about the Dark G-?"

Max held both hands in front of his face, as a surgeon with sterile gloves would. Right as Ash was about to raise an eyebrow, Aura erupted from the bespectacled teen's fingertips, creating a small but dazzling display of light in the dim room.

"Boom sparkle-sparkle," said Max, his voice monotone. "I'm an Aura user."

Serena then held her copy of _Aura Guardians: A Complete History_ forward, for Ash to see. Ash, unable to read the title of the book from his distance, looked at it with great curiosity. Finding his look to be absolutely adorable, Serena's blush bypassed her dismayed mood, her cheeks reddening. Extinguishing the Aura on his hands, Max glanced at Serena, waiting for her to speak. Once he saw her blushing, he did not hesitate in facepalming, muttering some sort of disapproving jargon.

"Remember when I said that I'd been reading up on Aura Guardians? It was after I found you in the Tree of Beginning." started Serena, waiting for Ash to nod before continuing. "Almost all of the research I did came from this book. It has a lot of lore and history regarding Aura Guardians in it. I crossed paths with it at my job, by chance. Max knows what he knows because somehow, another copy ended up in his hands too. That's why we came up here to see you. How do you think the same book, a really rare and expensive book, made its way to two different members of the Fellowship? Max said his copy just appeared in his bookshelf overnight."

At this revelation, Ash cupped his chin with his hand, pondering on what he'd just been told. His face then lit up, his mind coming to the perfect conclusion.

"Maybe it was just destin-"

"We know." droned Max, adjusting his glasses. He sounded annoyed. "That much, we were able to deduce."

 _"Okay, Max does not give a frosted_ _fuck when it comes to cutting me off or interrupting me. Like, c'mon."_ thought Ash, sighing. _"_ _I feel so attacked right now."_

"What I'm wondering is how exactly the books were manipulated to fall into Serena and I's hands." continued Max. "Maybe it's not that big of a deal, maybe it is. If anyone here would have some quality insight on anything like that, it's you, or someone you know."

 _ **"I don't know shit, man."**_ admitted Pikachu, always honest.

 _"Lucario?"_ inquired Ash, his eyebrows furrowed. _"You know anything about this?"_

 ** _"I must admit, I do not. To my knowledge, this was not the action of the Guardians living within the Corridors. I would not put too much consideration into it, however. It is not a mystery that raises an alarm, as far as I'm concerned. It was most likely, as stated, the tides of destiny."_**

 _"Yeah, it's probably not that big of a deal... I think."_ agreed Ash, looking at Max and Serena. "I don't know anything about those books, but I don't think this is anything to lose sleep over. Those books _did_ indirectly lead you guys to me, so whoever/whatever did this is probably some sort of ally, right? Why else would they allow you to gain more knowledge for a future journey? Long story short, I don't really see a need to discuss it further until we know more about it, if there even _is_ more to know."

Serena and Max muttered and mumbled among themselves in response to Ash's words, both reluctantly agreeing to drop the topic. Once the two's chit chat had reached its end, they looked at Ash, who was still seated in his chair beside May. Our hero stared back at them, waiting for what he thought would be more questions. But instead, the three of them just stared at eachother, Ash at Serena, Serena at Ash, Ash to Max, Max at Ash, Max to Serena, Serena to Max, all of them to an unconscious May, Max and Serena at Ash, Ash and Serena at Max, and so on so forth. All this silence-filled staring was accompanied by a thick fog of tension, for reasons both unknown and known. All three of them desperately wanted it to end, but found themselves unable to be the first one to speak up.

Pikachu, however, was lacking such cold feet.

 _ **"So are you nincompoops gonna say something or just continue sittin' here like a bunch of... of nincomp-"**_

"Guys," called Brock from downstairs, catching the attention of all. "dinner's ready!"

At the sound of the word "dinner", Ash, Serena, and Max instantly remembered that they were, in fact, hungry. It was as if the mist of uneasiness in the room had completely forced out the absolutely wonderful smell that was filling the house. Mouth watering, Serena was the first to exit the room, the honey-blonde expecting Ash and Max to follow her out shortly.

However, this was not the case. Once Serena left the room, Max indeed _attempted_ to follow her out, but when he turned towards the door, he was surprised to find a wall of Aura standing in its place, one thick enough to prevent any sort of escape. Confused to say the least, the aura-using teen blinked his widened eyes before turning back around. Much to his surprise, Ash was no longer in his seat beside May, but standing right in front of Max, auburn eyes glowing blue. Max found himself slightly intimidated by this change of location, as he, an Aura-user who'd spent most of his time honing only his healing and _sensory_ skills, hadn't even sensed Ash move.

The Chosen Guardian gazed into Max's eyes with a stern face, with Pikachu, now on Ash's shoulder, seconding the action.

"Max," he uttered, his voice just slightly hushed. A lower volume didn't hide the dead serious tone in it, however. "let's just get something out of the way here. I don't know what happened to May while I was away, but whatever it was, it must've been beyond bad, and whatever it was, it's obviously made you resent me somehow. Maybe it's something else, or maybe it could very well be a combination of both. Regardless, I'm going to say this here and now, and I need you to listen: For the sake of both the world, and the overall smoothness of this upcoming journey, _cut it out_. I didn't train my ass off for five years just to be given an attitude for something you won't even tell me about."

Before Max's clever noggin could even think of a rebuttal, Ash reached for his staff and touched the tip of it to the teen's forehead, causing Aura to manifest around him in the form of a navy blue cloak, the same cloak he'd seen Serena sporting earlier.

"Welcome to the Fellowship of the Aura." said Ash, walking past Max and towards the door. "I'll see you downstairs."

And with that, Ash and Pikachu exited the room, leaving just Max and May, the latter of which still being unconscious beneath the blankets of the bed. Max sighed as he heard Ash's steps get quieter and quieter, until they could be heard no more. Giving his sister one last glance, he turned around and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

* * *

 _I can't see anything..._

 _It's so dark. Oh, wait, no... there's a light. At least, I think there's one. I'm heading to it. Where am I, anyway? What happened? And what's happening right now? I'm walking closer to this light... but it isn't getting any bigger. This doesn't make any sense. Wait, now it is. I don't understand... this... this isn't a light, really. It's a... mirror...? But... my hair's black in the reflection... and my eyes are green. I don't get thi-_

 _Rachel. This is Rachel. But... I'm not Rachel anymore. So why...?_

 _"May...?"_

 _Who's calling me? I can't... I can't move anymore. Where'd the mirror go? It's gone..._

 _"May."_

 _That voice is so familiar... Ash? You're here...?_

 _"Blaziken! Blaze! Blaziken!"_

 _Blaziken? But... no. This isn't possible. Both of you... both of you are gone. You're not here. You can't be._

 _"Rachel?"_

 _...And Rosa._

 _"Rachel... how could you leave me behind? I thought we were friends... did you ever care? At all?"  
_

 _Rosa... I didn't want to leave you, I wanted to save you, or even be the one taken instead. I STILL want to save you! I still think about it all the ti-_

 _"May... you could've helped me... and now you've forgotten me, right? Because I never mattered? All the adventures we went on just meant nothing to you at the moment of truth, huh?"_

 _Stop... please! That's nowhere near true, at all! Ash, you meant so much to me, and... you still do. I could never forget you! You've always mattered! I cherish every moment I've ever gotten to spend with you..._

 _"You never cared."_

 _"I guess I didn't matter."_

 _"Blaziken..."_

 _Stop... *sniffle* Blaziken, I will never forgive myself for what happened. Never. And Rosa, please, I-_

 _"You left me to be taken away by Wade."  
_

 _"You watched as I died. Wasn't the first time you've done something like that, was it?"_

 _"You're so cold. A monster. Do you feel anything?"_

 _No more... *hiccup* No..._

 _"Blaziken!"_

 _"How many times are you going to let everyone around you down? It gets old!"  
_

 _"I... I hate you, Rachel!"_

 _Stop! *sobs* Stop it, all of you! I love you all... I love you..._

 _"Liar."_

 _"LIAR!"_

 _"Liar!"  
_

 _"Liar."_

 _ **"You dirty liar."**_

* * *

 _"Stop!"_ thought May, her eyes bursting open.

The distressed brunette immediately sat up, her breath rigid and coarse. She could feel the cold sensation of air meeting sweat all over her torso, as well as the frantic rhythm of her heart beating. As she struggled to catch her breath, she eyed a clock on the wall of the room. It was dark, but she was able to make out that it was 2:15am, or at least something close. She then buried her face in her hands, giving herself a moment to recollect herself, wipe off the tears that seemed to have been produced, as well as reflect on what she had just experienced. It was a nightmare, no doubt. But it didn't take a genius to tell that it was an unusual one. But in the end, a nightmare was a nightmare; nothing to dwell on for long.

The last voice she heard in it, however, spurred her to think about it a little more. It was different from the three she had heard speaking to her during the dream. It sounded like herself, but more... sinister. And oddly enough, the final voice was accompanied by the visual display of a torrent of blue and red _energy_ rushing towards her, which was odd for a dream spent mostly in pitch black darkness.

 _"I'll talk to Max about it in the morning..."_ she thought, removing the blanket from her legs.

As she removed the blanket, she realized that it wasn't _her_ blanket. She then realized she wasn't in _her_ bed, nor was she in _her_ room. Wide-eyed, she slid out of the bed and approached the room's door, quietly opening it. As soon as she peeked into the hallway, she vaguely recognized the setting as Brock's house. Her memory of the previous day was foggy, but at the sight of the hallway, she was able to recall that she and Max were indeed headed to this very house. She looked downward, spotting a towel and a change of clothes stationed right outside the room, along with a toothbrush, paste, and a small bottle of body wash. She grabbed said items and silently walked across the hall, into the bathroom.

Once she had brushed her teeth, taken her clothes off, and figured out how to operate the shower, she got in, letting the warm water to cascade down her slim but curved frame. She tilted her head under the water next, gently lathering her hair as she did so. As the water rinsed off the sweat from her nightmare, she closed her eyes and retreated into her thoughts, attempting to better remember what had happened earlier. But her efforts bore no fruit. Keeping at it, her time spent in the shower flew by, all of it spent trying to recall what had happened. The struggle continued into the moments she spent after her shower, until she was fully clothed and back in the room she had woken up in.

 _"Whatever..."_ she thought, yawning. _"I'll just go back to sleep... After a drink of water, though."_

And so, her next destination was set to the kitchen. Many tip-toe steps and cautiously slow actions later, she found herself there, in front of the sink with a cup in hand. She hadn't seemed to have disturbed anyone or anything on her way down, as the house was still dead silent... that was, until she accidentally dropped her cup. She managed to catch it before it shattered in the sink, but the corner of it still ended up making contact, creating a rather loud _ping_ sound that echoed far more than the brunette would have liked.

Her eyes darted around, hoping nobody had been awoken by her clumsiness. Unfortunately, someone with dark hair that was resting on a couch in the living room began to stir a bit. May could only see their hair, but she knew who it was.

"Sorry, Max..." she whispered, loud enough so her voice could travel to the living room.

At first some drowsy grumbles from a deep voice were heard, causing May to pause. Max's voice was deep, but this voice seemed a little... _different._

"Max?" she repeated, taking a step closer to the living room.

"Stopppp calling me Maaax, Officer Jennyyy..." sleep-talked the man in response. "And pleeeeaaaaase, tell Paul to stop stirrrrrring the marinara sauce... with his dick. He's ruuuuuined pasta night... again. Paullllllll..."

"What in the world...?" murmured May, deciding to investigate.

After filling her cup with water, she closed the distance between herself and the couch, her eyes fixed on the head of dark hair laying on it. She took a sip of water as she made the turn around the furniture, causing her to nearly choke when she finally saw the face of the person in question. It was then, like high tide waves crashing on a beach, that her memories of the day before completely returned to her, everything, up until when she passed out. Seeing the familiar tan skin and cheek birthmarks made her heart do somersaults, her hands suddenly becoming shaky, clammy, and unstable. She opted to put the cup down on a nearby coffee table, not wanting to drop it.

She then knelt on her knees, so her face could be more or less level with his head, which was resting on the arm of the couch. She couldn't bring herself to do anything else but stare at his sleeping face, her eyes barely even blinking as she did so. She had only stopped staring when she saw her vision begin to cloud up, tears quickly overstaying their welcome and migrating down her cheeks. Only one question was in her mind about this situation as a whole, and it kept on asking itself, over and over:

 _How?_

"Paulllllll, your penne a la vodka ain't shit... Got that, Paulllllll?" yawned Ash, still sleep-talking. "You hear me? It suuuuucks... YOU suck.. _._ I have also claimed your Chimcharrrr."

Eyes still teary, May chuckled at the words, covering her mouth to avoid making too much noise. Unfortunately, she failed. As soon as her laughing ceased, Ash's eyes opened wide, staring directly into her's. May could feel her body freeze up as she stared right back, her hand still on her mouth. They remained locked in each other's gazes for a few seconds, the room so silent that the crickets outside could be heard. May's chest was tingling, her heart performing all sorts of acrobatics as her sapphire eyes carefully studied his amber ones. They hadn't changed at all; still handsome, and still warm.

But _how?_

"May...?" asked Ash, his voice hushed and awkward. He quickly sat up on the couch, both he and the brunette maintaining eye contact the entire time. "You're finally awake... Well duh, haha, obviously you are, you're not upstairs anymore... but um, yeah. I, um, I have a lot to explain, so-"

Ash's explanation was forced to be put on hold, as he suddenly became very occupied with something else: May's lips practically teleporting onto his own. Before our hero could understand what was even happening, he felt a pair of hands smaller than his own grab his shirt, pulling their torsos even closer together as the owner of said hands climbed up onto the couch, positioning herself on top of him. Without need of saying, our hero was more than _caught_ off guard by May's actions; for lack of better terms, _his shit was rocked_ off guard by them.

But it felt good, and it felt _right_... so he saved his questions for later.

* * *

Meanwhile, in one of Brock's siblings' rooms, an interesting assortment of people slept. Serena and Braixen were both under the blankets, sharing the bed. Serena's Pangoro sat asleep in a corner. And last but not least, Sylveon lay curled up at the edge of the bed... with none other than Pikachu snuggled up right next to her. Everyone in the room was fast asleep, but unfortunately, such harmony didn't last.

With a sole spark flying from a cheek and ears immediately perking upwards, Pikachu abruptly woke from what was quite possibly the best sleep he'd ever engaged in. He didn't know why he had woken from paradise so suddenly, but his instincts told him something was happening, something _huge_. His first response was to notify Ash, but once the name of his partner crossed his mind, he realized exactly why he'd woken up: Ash's Aura was sending out some _interesting_ waves on the emotional spectrum, and in large quantities.

 _ **"Bro, you good?"**_ asked Pikachu, addressing Ash.

No answer.

 _ **"Bro?"**_

No answer.

 _ **"You can't rap for shit and Tobias deserved to win the Lily of the Valley Conference."**_

No answer, which was strange; that line usually incited all sorts of outbursts from Ash. This could only mean one thing.

 ** _"HE BLOCKED ME?!"_** inquired Pikachu, silently sliding off the bed and leaving Sylveon, who was still fast asleep. **_"How is he even ALLOWED to block me?! Why does our mystical, life force based, soul energy powered spirit bond have the same mechanics as motherfucking Twitter?! Nah, that's not how I butter my toast. Not at all. I'm heading downstairs right now and-"  
_**

 ** _"He has not blocked us intentionally..."_** sighed Lucario, breaking his silence on the matter. ** _"He's... busy, and his Aura reacted on its own."_**

 ** _"Fuck you."_** replied Pikachu politely.

Luckily, the room's door wasn't fully closed, allowing the yellow rodent to slip through without much noise. He scurried down the hallway, headed for the staircase. He originally intended to go down the stairs, but since he was little more than a foot tall, he got a pretty good view of the living room from the top stair alone. It was from such a vantage point that he was able to see why he'd woken up, and nothing in the world could put a smile on his face quicker.

Unfortunately, the smile left just as quickly as it came. The electric mouse hadn't gotten too much time to celebrate such a big step forward for his OTP before he felt a presence. No noise had been made, but his Aura sensitivities could tell someone was more or less behind him. He recognized their Aura, but he turned around anyway, mostly because there was no way it could've been _her_ , as she was asleep literally moments ago. But once he saw a head of long, blonde hair peeking at him through the doorway he'd just snuck through, there was no doubt about it.

Serena, a light sleeper, had actually woken up several minutes earlier, to the sounds of May taking a shower. She had still been trying to fall back asleep when she felt Pikachu leave the bed. Her investigation of his departure led her to the staring contest she currently found herself in. Accepting that she had been spotted, Serena sighed and brought her full body into the hallway, intending to just ask Pikachu what was going on, even though she couldn't actually understand the mouse.

But she faltered for a second. Pikachu's cheeks began to spark, but the miniature arcs of lightning were not yellow, but _blue_. Before she could react, a blue Thunder Wave attack was sent her way, and instead of simply being paralyzed... she felt her consciousness slip from her. It wasn't the same feeling as being hit by Sleep Powder or even simply falling asleep - it was more of a forceful but precisely temporary robbing of her life force, as if she suddenly forgot how to be anything other than unconscious. She began to lean forward, eyes slowly closing.

 _ **"Oh... oh no."**_ muttered the rodent, realizing the sound of Serena falling would surely startle Ash and May.

 _ **"How dare you? Using Aura against another member of the Fellowship?"**_ growled Lucario, deeply angered by Pikachu's actions. **_"Especially augmenting a Thunder Wave that way! Her memory could have been affected if you were sloppy with your execution!"_**

 ** _"Listen, if she saw what was going on down there,"_** retorted Pikachu, reluctantly running forward to break Serena's fall. _ **"our beloved Fellowship would crumble before it's even completed."**_

 _ **"Why purposely postpone such a confrontation when it is obviously something that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later?"**_

 ** _"Ash will be the one to settle it, and I'm going to make sure that happens when he's ready to, and not a moment sooner."_** answered Pikachu, closing his eyes and bracing himself for impact.

He held his paws up and waited for Serena to land on him, knowing the impact would surely lead to a few bruises sustained on his end. But fortunately, the fall never came. When Pikachu's eyes opened, he saw what was perhaps the ugliest Aura construct he'd ever seen holding Serena up. Compared to the thin, clean, blue wall Ash would've conjured up, this was more like a shoddy sheet that would barely stay intact. From behind Serena, none other than Max Maple emerged, his eyes glowing blue. Before his construct dissipated, he grabbed Serena and picked her up, the honey-blonde's body limp in his arms.

He looked at Pikachu, who in turn looked back, completely lost on how to explain things to Max. Luckily, the bespectacled teen needed no explanation. He'd woken up to the feeling of May's Aura fluctuating like he'd never felt before. Once he sensed the other active Auras in the house, he was able to put two and two together in a short amount of time. He'd briefly considered finding a way to interrupt what was going on in the living room, but opted not to, at the stern insisting of his Gardevoir.

It was also by the stern insisting of his Gardevoir that he'd stop Serena from interrupting as well. And so, there he was. Tired, annoyed, and yawning, Max carried Serena back into her room, Pikachu following close behind. Once the honey-blonde was placed securely in the bed, Max turned to leave the room, but before he could, he felt something tugging at the bottom of his pajama pants.

It was Pikachu. Once Max looked down at him, the yellow mouse gave the teen a smile and a head nod, thanking Max for the help. In response, Max rolled his eyes and left the room. Like Lucario, he saw the entirety of that operation as a mere delaying of the inevitable, and as far as he was concerned, that was nothing to be happy about.

* * *

Down in the living room, two young adults were melting into one another's arms, communicating deep passion through a dance of lips. All the fire types in the world colliding in a collective Flare Blitz would have proved no match for the heat of such a kiss, both participants nearly suffocating from the pressure. But neither of them even considered stopping; in fact, neither of them had really considered anything at all.

That was, until May abruptly pulled away, her hitched breathing matching that of the raven-haired hero she was straddled upon. She was about push things past kissing when she had pulled away; her hips had begun to sway and push on Ash's, an action seductive enough to snap her mind back into reality. The two stared at each other for an unprecedented amount of time, until one finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry." uttered May, quickly sliding off Ash and standing up. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have, that was so random and- I just saw you and- I was just so happy to see you and-... *sigh*..."

Ash sat up, gesturing for May to sit next to him. The brunette did so, opting to leave a little space in between the two of them. He took a deep breath before adjusting his throat and opening his mouth. He didn't speak immediately, the words finding trouble coming out.

"Don't be sorry." he whispered, his voice raspy. "You, um... you enjoyed it, right?"

"Well, yes..." answered May, sheepishly. She couldn't bring herself to look Ash in the eye again just yet. "Yes, I did. You're a... really good kisser."

"Thanks?" replied Ash, not expecting to hear such a compliment. That was his first ever full kiss, he'd been winging it the entire time. Was he just naturally good? Was she just saying that? Both? ...Questions for later. "I did too... And I'm happy to see you too. I-"

"Ash?" asked May, hands on her lap. her voice seemed to be cracking a bit. " _How_ are you here? _Why_ are you here? Where have you been? There was so much I wanted to say before... before what happened to you happened. I thought you were dead, or at least never coming back. I fell apart. I already wasn't myself, but you being taken from us the way you were left me just... shattered. So many questions, zero answers; just a big, haunting hole where you used to be. You... you were everything to me. I wanted to tell you back then, it was the real reason I visited. Seeing you now... I don't even know what this means. I can't even begin to understand- I can hardly believe- I-... Look, are you _real_?"

Ash looked down at his hands, then at May, a soft smile on his face.

"I think so." he chuckled, before returning to a more serious tone. "That day... wasn't handled properly. I've heard from others how it affected my friends and family, and I can't begin to express how sorry I am to all of you. But it had to happen, May. Things happen the way the Aura wills it, and the Aura needed me. It still does, and it needs you too. _I_ need you."

Our hero then put his arm around the brunette, holding her closer. May didn't object, leaning her head on his shoulder as he pulled her in. Ash sighed; her hair smelled like strawberries, the fragrance of the shampoo she had bathed with. But the conversation was far from over. May's Aura was still as unstable as before, and he had to get to the bottom of such a phenomenon.

"May... I'm an Aura Guardian now." he continued. "As you know, Guardians can sens-"

"You don't have to say it... my Aura's not normal, right?" she asked, avoiding Ash's eyes yet again. "Emotionally, I mean."

"What happened? I don't want to believe me leaving did that amount of damage. I'd have trouble falling back asleep if so..." he murmured, looking down at her hands, which were still on her lap, but trembling. "But... _was_ it all me? Be honest."

"I... I can't go into it, not right now." said May, speaking so fast Ash could barely understand her. "It's a lot. Right now, I just want to enjoy being with Ash Ketchum again. I've missed you so much..."

As nice as it was to hear that, Ash was in no way ready to back down. Once he began to think about it more, he remembered that something had already been wrong with May before he'd been taken away to train. She'd called it "getting sick" or something of the sort, but with an older and more matured mind, Ash could now deduce she almost certainly meant something far graver. He wanted to know, and he wanted to know because he was worried about her. He was worried about her because he cared for her. He cared for her because he was in love with her, and at the moment, her happiness was all he could think about.

"May, I..."

Ash's voice trailed off, because, at the sound of her name, May turned her head towards Ash, establishing eye contact. Her eyes bore a trait all too familiar to the raven-haired savior, a sight that surprised him even though he had not forgotten the significance of the last name "Maple". May's eyes held the azure glow of Aura, prompting Ash to quickly take note of his surroundings. No Aura had been summoned out; in fact, it didn't seem like May even ignited the glow on purpose. Her emotions brought it forth, and from what Ash could sense, her emotional tie to her Aura was even more potent than that of what he'd sensed in Max all evening.

May, who had grown confused as to why Ash hadn't finished his sentence, frowned. The frown deepened when she noticed a blue gleam on Ash's face, seeming to come from her own.

"Ash, your face... It's blue." she whispered, tilting her head slightly.

"Not my face," corrected Ash, lighting up his own eyes with the energy. "your eyes."

As the blue light in her eyes began to fade, May blankly stared at Ash's eyes, needing only a split second to realize what he meant. She opened her mouth to say something in response, but found herself unable to dictate where to take the conversation. Luckily, Ash wasn't done talking.

"May, I need you now more than ever." he started, maintaining eye contact. "The world is in the worst danger it's faced in thousands of years. When I say "worst", I really do mean the _worst_. It's worse than Team Rocket, Aqua, Magma, Galactic, or anything we've ever had to deal with before. And I'm the chosen one tasked to saving it. It's why I was taken away; to train. And it's why I'm back. It has to be me to do it, but with the help of a chosen seven others. Only with them will I be able to get through all this. I've gotten two of those seven so far, and I need you to be the third. Because you _are_ the third."

May stared at Ash for a few seconds before shifting her gaze to her lap.

"I don't know how to use it, Ash. At all."

"But you're aware you _can_? That it's in you?"

"Yes, and I'd like to lear-"

"That's more than enough, then." said Ash, standing up.

With a flick of his wrist, the spare pajamas Brock had given him to wear glowed and transformed into his Aura Guardian gear, earning an awestruck gasp from May. He grabbed his staff off his back and twirled it around a bit before touching the end of it to May's forehead, and in an instant, a dark blue cloak appeared around her. While Ash took a second to admire his work, May looked down at the new article of clothing, gingerly touching the fabric.

"How does Aura allow you to make _clothes_?" she asked, looking back up at Ash.

 ** _"Do not answer that."_** commanded Lucario, overriding Ash's mental block on him.

"I cannot answer that." said Ash, returning to his spot on the couch. "Aaaaaanyway, that cloak is yours. Welcome to the Fellowship... my student."

If May were a pokemon, her ears would have perked at that last word. She looked at Ash, eyebrows raised. Ash grinned.

"Your... student?" she repeated, her eyes lighting up in happiness.

"Student." he confirmed, nodding. "May, you're powerful. Your Aura's got great potential, and I've seen countless times just how hard of a worker you are. I swear, you and I are gonna bring out _all_ of your strength. I'll teach you everything I know... But only if you're willing to open yourself up to the Aura, and that means conquering your demons. I can help, but only if you open up to me about it. It doesn't have to be tonight, but eventually... you'll have to let it go."

May stood up, her cloak gracefully falling to full length. Ash looked up at her, his face completely serious. May returned the stare, except with a smile.

"I will." she declared. "I promise I will, Ash... Thank you so much, I... I won't let you down."

"It's not _me_ you have to worry about..." yawned Ash, laying down. In a flash of blue light, his Guardian attire reverted back to Brock's pajamas. "It's the _world_ we're trying to save here..."

"True..." replied May, yawning as well. "Hm, I spent hours unconscious and I'm still yawning. *yawn* Maybe I should go back to bed..."

"Yeah, me too." answered Ash, getting comfortable on the couch.

"Well... goodnight, Ash. I'll see you in the morning." said May, slowly walking back to the stairs. Each step seemed hesitant, but she kept going. "It's good to have you back."

"Goodnight..." answered Ash, closing his eyes. "It's good to _be_ back..."

...

 _approximately 17.4 seconds later..._

 _..._

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck."

Ash's eyes reopened, twice as wide as they were when he'd closed them moments earlier. As soon as May had left the room, his full capacity of thoughts returned to him, allowing everything that had just happened to sink in. She had more or less confessed that she cared about him more than a friend, a mutual sentiment. They'd _kissed,_ and frankly, the word "kiss" seemed like a bit of an understatement. The both of them had seemed to have dismissed it so quickly afterwards, he had to wonder what it truly meant for the days to come. Would it happen again? He hoped so. But if it did happen again, they'd surely become more than... whatever state of friendship they were currently in.

He closed his eyes again, desperately wanting to go back to sleep for the long day ahead. After a couple minutes, it seemed like he'd gain his wish; his thoughts were beginning to dwindle, his consciousness slipping. But unfortunately, a faint tickling sensation began to run across the side of his face, prompting him to halt his progress and reach for whatever was there. He opened his eyes slightly, only to open them wider when he saw what he held:

A long, honey-blonde hair, shining gracefully in the moonlight.

* * *

 **Alright, that's that. So, I have some interesting things to say here. First of all, I want to explain something about the direction this story is going to go. The chapters will continue as they have been only until Ash assembles all the members of the Fellowship. From then on, it's been my intention to write a good amount of chapters in a more episodic, shorter-length fashion, with each chapter containing it's own conflict and that conflict being solved by the end of it. These "episode" chapters will feature various and never-repeating assortments of members of the group, with the purpose being to flesh out their personalities even more and show how everyone interacts with each other, while also showing growth in strength as well. Each of these chapters will always have some bearing and relation to the overall plot to avoid any of them being mere filler. Expect this to begin after the next 3 or 4 chapters, and to last about 10. I'm excited for it.**

 **Also, for those of you who read my other story, Pokemon: Divinus, good news. I'm also 7000 words into the next chapter of that, only about 2000 left till it's done. Keep on the lookout!**

 **But...**

 **How will Ash deal with both May and Serena being in the Fellowship?**

 **Who will the NEXT member of the Fellowship be?**

 **When will the bells of fierce battle ring once more?**

 **Find out the answers to all these questions and more in the next chapter of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura!**

 **Toodaloo,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey all! Here I am with another chapter! I know I'm a little late with this, but Happy New Year, and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season full of gifts, family, love, and splendor. If not, then don't worry, things don't stay horrible forever, so stay strong and keep on pushing forward. Sorry for putting random life advice up here, but I'm going through the literal worst months of my entire life right now, bar none, and am kinda surviving off of positivity and optimism. It definitely helps a bit. But anyway...**

 **Q &A!**

hy6r1d60y

Will Serena kiss Ash in the next chapter?

 **Answer:** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Is it just me or is Pikachu acting like a jerkass, especially when it is about Ash's relationship with May?

 **Answer: Pikachu's just got a lot of passion about his one true pairing. He will accept no other shipping, to the point of bashing others for no reason besides liking his own. *glares at people who do that in real life***

0rbital

Liking the approach you're taking with introducing all of the Fellowship then fleshing them out. Not sure if there is any way to vote for which ship we'd want or it's your decision but I'd want advanceshipping all the way.

 **Answer: There is! There's a poll on my profile, go ahead and vote yo!**

Rajiv A. Rajaram

So I'm assuming this story is not going to be Ash and Serena then based on this chapter?

 **Answer: I wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet, there's still a ways to go!**

 **Alright everyone, here we go! Let's get in to Chapter 10! Enjoy!  
**

 **DISCLAIMER: Error 404, bullshit disclaimer not found.**

* * *

 **X**

* * *

A pair of cyan eyes opened, the warm hues of a Kanto sunrise invading their sight. Serena let out a lengthy yawn as she sat up, slowly shaking her head as she did so. Immediately, she could feel that something was off. Her memory of the previous night was foggy and unclear, a phenomenon she was a complete stranger to. The last thing she truly remembered was going downstairs to get dinner with Ash, Brock, and Max. From then on, it was all a blur.

 _"I feel like there was something I wanted to do..."_ she thought, taking the blankets off her legs. _"But_ _I really can't remember it for the life of m-"_

Serena's pause was due to the sight of a basketball-sized lump forming when she moved the blankets. Curious, she lifted the covers to reveal Pikachu and Sylveon, the sleeping pokemon cuddling so tightly that there was barely any space between them. Serena looked around, noticing for the first time since waking up that Braixen and Pangoro were also in the room, fast asleep.

However, Pikachu and Sylveon were her main concern. Just looking at them - one pokemon her own, and the other one Ash's - had jogged her memory enough to remember at least _one_ thing she'd wanted to do.

 _"I have to make my move this morning."_ she thought, getting out of the bed. _"Hm, deja vu."_

Indeed, this was not the first time Serena had found herself in such a situation. The first time was five years prior, in Ash's house. Fortunately, she mused, things weren't going to end up the same way as last time. She was going to make sure of that.

Wasting no time, she made her way to the bathroom and proceeded to brush her teeth. After spending years chewing mint leaves as an alternative, she was slightly thrown off by the feeling of a toothbrush in her hand. But ever the adaptive survivor, she acclimated and pushed onward, removing her clothes once her mouth was minty fresh. She eyed the shower, instantly feeling out of her comfort zone again. The controls to other people's showers were already a puzzle to most, but after spending years bathing in fresh water lakes, rivers, and ponds? "Apocalyptic Conundrum" was a more fitting term.

"C'mon, Serena..." she muttered to herself, reaching for the handle. "It's just a shower, you can do thi-"

"Max, hurry up and get out here! You're keeping Brock waiting! And you're keeping _me_ waiting! In short, you suck!"

Hearing this new voice loud and clear, Serena halted her psychological duel with the shower and peeked out the window. She saw May and Brock standing by what she assumed to be Brock's car, due to him having the keys in his hand... and it being his driveway.

"You keep me waiting too." answered Max, stepping out of the house.

"For what?" answered May, opening the car door and sitting in the passenger seat.

"I wait everyday for _your face_ to stop being so unapologetically fugly." answered Max, closing May's door before she could lunge out and assault him. "Really does a number on the eyes after a while."

Serena stopped paying attention after that, the sound of Brock's car starting becoming nothing but a distant roar in the background of her mind. She took what she needed from that scene: they were leaving for a while. With this in mind, she returned to her investigation of how to operate Brock's shower, and eventually, she figured it out. As she stepped in, she sighed in content. It felt nice bathing in warm water; it was a sensation she had definitely missed.

But the shower was a quick one, followed by a quick trip back to the room she had slept in. Upon her return, she had noticed all the pokemon were no longer in the room. Thinking nothing of it, she rushed to put her clothes back on. As she finished dressing, she could hear footsteps approaching the door. These footsteps were immediately followed by a knock.

"Serena?"

It was Ash. Serena's eyes widened; though she was clean and ready for action, she didn't expect _him_ to come to _her_. However, It certainly got the whole "approaching" aspect of her plan out of the way, so there was no need to be thrown off. Instead, she smiled and took a deep breath.

"Just a sec!" she called, taking one last look at herself in the mirror.

Looking as good as she could look with wet hair, she crept towards the door, planning on suddenly opening it to surprise him. But when she was only a step or two away from the door, she heard Ash clear his throat on the other side.

"I mean, I don't really _have_ to come in," stammered Ash, his tone an awkward one. "I just wanted to let you know that Brock took May and Max to the Pokemon Center in Celadon City to get refunds on their tournament tickets. So there's no rush-"

Serena swung the door open and pressed her lips against Ash's, silencing our raven-haired hero before he could finish his sentence. Her hands, resting on his shoulders, squeezed lightly, her arms gently pulling him closer. She could feel her own heart beating, her whole body lighting up in splendor as she realized this was the moment she'd dreamed of for years. But there was no time to revel it in just yet, she had to keep things rolling. Reluctantly, she separated her lips from his, blue eyes meeting brown.

"By all means... stay a while..." whispered Serena, the statement sounding far more sultry than she'd intended. "You said there's no rush, right?~"

She waited for Ash to respond, but he didn't. Instead, she heard the room door close behind him, which she gladly took as her cue to capture his lips in hers once more.

* * *

Braixen removed her hands from the door she had just closed, nodding in satisfaction to Pangoro, who had been standing on the other side of the doorway. They had acted natural when Ash had come to knock on the door, but as soon as Serena had opened the door for him and did... that _thing_ humans do to show affection, they were quick to close the door in hopes of helping their Trainer. Now, they stood guard, aiming to eliminate all chances of the two inside being disturbed.

And so, both their ears perked when they heard noise coming from the direction of the stairs.

But before they could assume their battle stances, their noses recognized the scents of the _two_ beings approaching. Pangoro and Braixen relaxed themselves as Pikachu and Sylveon came into view, having just finished their morning stroll around Brock's house. It was clear Pikachu was the outsider of the bunch, as all three of Serena's pokemon smiled at each other upon meeting up, while Pikachu received mere nods from Braixen and Pangoro.

Noticing the two bigger pokemon were standing guard in front of Serena's door, Pikachu blinked.

 **"Uh, what's good with the security?"** he asked, using the universal pokemon-exclusive tongue.

 **"Yeah, that's like, a totally good question."** chimed Sylveon, tilting her head. **"Like, what're y'all nigg-"**

 **"WOAHHHHHHHH! Babe, I told ya; don't try to talk like me! It'll just poison your hot, irresistible vocab."** interjected Pikachu, slightly panicked. He then turned his attention back to Pangoro and Braixen. **"So really, what's happening here?"**

 **"Master in room. She do snusnu with tan man."** answered Pangoro. **"We protecc."**

 **"...Yeah. So, in more understandable terms, our Trainer is making her move on yours and we're just making sure nothing interrupts her."** explained Braixen, folding her arms and eyeing Pikachu. **"Emphasis on 'nothing'."**

 **"Ohmigoshhh, that's like, TOTES adorbs! That's so romantic, I just, like, can't!"** squealed Sylveon, unable to contain her valley-girl excitement. **"Isn't this, like, amazing, Pika-boo? What if they, like, start going out after this?"**

 **"..."**

 _ **"Wonderful."**_ echoed Lucario's voice in Pikachu's mind, his tone bearing sarcasm. _**"Cue the obnoxious pandemonium in 5, 4, 3, 2..."**_

* * *

 ** _"ASH KETCHUM STOP, STOP IT RIGHT NOW. THIS AIN'T WHAT WE STAND FOR, DAWG! THIS AIN'T WHAT WE ARE! REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS, MAN! REMEMBER YOUR GODDAMN ROOTS! YOU WEREN'T RAISED ON THAT TEAM SERENA FLOW, YOU GREW UP IN THE ADVANCED GENERATION OF MAY MAPLE! ADVANCED BATTLES N' ALL THAT SHIT! TEAM MAY ALL THE WAY, FOR ARCEUS' SAKE YOU JUST KISSED HER LAST NIGHT AND NOW YOU WANNA GO_** **_2_ _FOR 2 AND SMOOCH SERENA TOO?! BRUH; MORALS?! I'MMA BEAT YOUR ASS WITH A CROWBAR!"_**

Unfortunately, Pikachu's telepathic cries went unreceived, for Ash's mind had once again blocked out everything. Luckily he'd brushed his teeth just moments before knocking on Serena's door, or his current situation surely would have been an awkward one. But alas, both their mouths were minty fresh, providing the only cool sensation in what could only be described as a smoldering smooch-fest. Serena's arms were wrapped around Ash's neck and shoulders at this point, while Ash's hands had somehow found their way to her waist. Everything seemed to be moving at a pace our hero couldn't quite understand, but he was in no state to question things.

Lips dancing and heartbeats quickening, the pair slowly made their way to the bed, an impressive feat considering their eyes were closed the entire time. Hungry for more, Ash leaned forward, prompting Serena to fall onto the bed with Ash on top. But before anything could even continue, he found himself doing a barrel roll, courtesy of Serena. The honey blonde had somehow turned Ash over, re-positioning herself on top instead. Needless to say, Ash felt a sudden rush in his chest after that. There was a deep passion that was being conveyed in this extremely sudden kiss, almost as if the build up towards it had been amassing for years. It reached deep within Ash's own heart, pulling out a carnal desire of near equal strength. From any viewpoint, it was clear that this was more than just a kiss... it was harmony.

But even harmony had to come up for air eventually.

Serena's lips separated from Ash's, causing our hero to finally begin thinking again. He simply looked upwards, unable to take his eyes off the blue-eyed beauty who was staring right back at him.

"Ash." she gasped, catching her breath. "I love you."

Ash opened his mouth, but found his voice box locked, with the key thrown into a black hole. He wasn't even sure of what he was going to say in response, but he knew he wouldn't be able to. It took less than a second for him to realize why he'd frozen up: for the first time since he'd entered the room, he'd remembered that he and May had kissed less than 12 hours earlier. Maybe it was because the kissing stopped? Or perhaps it was the sight of beautiful blue eyes looking into his? Whatever the reason, his mind had begun to turn against him more and more by the second.

 _ **"Ah, I believe this is the part where you realize the duality of the situation you have landed yourself in."**_ commented Lucario, Ash's mental block on his pokemon wearing off. _**"You are quite the ladies' man, Master."**_

 ** _"Ya dun fucked up, Ash."_** added Pikachu. _**"Ya dun fucked up."**_

Noticing Ash's sudden change in demeanor, as well as his hesitance in answering, Serena frowned. At first she feared she had come on too strong, but ended up dismissing that notion as soon as it came; even if she _had_ come on strong, if Ash had been overwhelmed, he wouldn't have continued things for as long as he did. And he didn't just continue things to continue them, it was all genuine, she felt it. So what could've been the issue? Why was he just staring at her, his expression blank?

Serena's thoughts took a different route when she felt a stiff... _object_ pressing against her mid-section. Perhaps Ash _was_ overwhelmed, but in a way she could work with. She lowered her head down to Ash's neck, her mouth quickly latching onto it. As she did this, she began to rhythmically shift her body on his, aiming to as sensual as possible with it. She had never done any of this to anyone before, but she knew it had to feel _some_ type of good for Ash.

 ** _"Oh."_** uttered Lucario.

 _ **"Y'know,"**_ sighed Pikachu. _**"I respect the hustle."**_

Though he could hear his pokemon's comments, Ash did not respond. As soon as he'd thought of May, all drive to continue had died, despite his body saying otherwise. His mind had gone elsewhere, to a compartment built on the idea that he was an absolute piece-of-trash womanizer for kissing both May and Serena. Even though both girls had initiated both kisses, he did nothing to stop them both times. May had been the one to pull away the previous night. And now, he found himself under Serena, a situation he had let happen. Both times, he'd just given in to what he wanted, with not an ounce of self-control in his psyche. But perhaps... perhaps there was still time?

Ash opened his mouth, finally ready to speak up.

"Ser-"

"Hey, are you guys making a baby?"

Serena immediately removed her mouth from Ash's neck, while Ash let out an odd yelping noise, obviously just as confused as she was. The voice that had just spoken belonged to neither of them. Both of them turned their heads to the end of the bed, where it had come from. It was Billy, Brock's youngest brother. The 7 year-old quietly stood at near eye-level with Ash and Serena, patiently waiting for an answer to his question.

"B-Billy?" stammered Ash. "H-how did you get in here?"

"I play hide and seek with myself every morning! I always win! This morning I hid under this bed! Are you guys making a baby? Brock told me babies come from Panera Bread, but I don't believe him!"

"Billy, we were just... we were just playing vampire." replied Serena, removing herself from Ash. "See? *points to hickey on Ash's neck* I bit him!"

"Yeah, and um, babies come from Applebee's anyway. And if you want twins, it's the 2 for $20 deal." answered Ash, nervously chuckling in between sentences. "Everyone knows that, right Serena?"

"Right, 2 for $20! Hahaha..." agreed Serena, emotion leaving her tone with each word.

"Ohhhh..." said Billy, slowly nodding his head. "Okay! I'm gonna tell all my friends at school today!"

"Oh, you've got school today?" asked Ash, getting out of the bed. "Why don't I whip you up some breakfast so you don't start the day hungry? You like eggs?"

"Nope!"

"Great!" replied Ash, awkwardly following Billy out of the room.

As our hero approached the door, he glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see Serena silently sigh and shove her face into a pillow. The amount of... _turmoil_ he sensed surging through the honey blonde's Aura was enough to make him turn his head back towards the door in a mix of sympathy and shame. Once Billy opened the door, the raven-haired Guardian was met with the sight of Pikachu pinned to a wall by Serena's Pangoro, with Braixen and Sylveon standing nearby. Before any pokemon could send him any looks displaying their thoughts on what had happened, Ash closed the door behind him, grabbed Pikachu from Pangoro, and silently walked down the stairs.

* * *

 _[Diglett Cave...]_

"Diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett di-"

"ENOUGH!"

"...Diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig *continues forever*"

The owner of the non-Diglett voice brought his right hand to his face, his sanity slowly slipping from hours of hearing the repeated calls of the various Digletts occupying Diglett Cave. Unfortunately, his right hand was a metal prosthetic, making the movement much more painful than he intended it to be. Now both annoyed and in pain from essentially smashing himself in the face with a metal fist, the man let out an enraged roar, his voice echoing throughout the cave.

"Max goddamn Maple..." seethed the man between gritted teeth. "When I finally get my hands on that kid for destroying my hand..."

"Wade, sir," spoke another voice, from behind Wade. "it is best we keep quiet and on the move here. We do not want to attract a Dugtrio."

Wade glared at the owner of this second voice, which was a woman with long, blonde hair, split into two distinct locks as it fell down her back. Next to her was a man of similar height, with short, green hair. They wore the standard black, trench coat-like garb of Dark Order members, with both their eyes shining with the malicious red glint of Dark Aura. The man with green hair took a step forward, hands at his sides.

"I agree with Cassidy, Wade sir. Dugtrios are known to defend this cave ferociously." concurred the man. "Earthquake is not a move to be taken lightly when in caves."

"As if I'd be afraid of a couple Dugtrios, Bono." spat Wade, glaring at the pair.

"It's Butch, sir." corrected Butch quietly.

"Whatever. Until we're out of this cave, you two aren't to speak unless spoken to. I already have these Digletts giving me a headache, I don't need your nonsense too."

"Yes, my lord." replied Butch and Cassidy, following Wade through the last few sections of the cave.

The trio had just recently been formed, when Wade, a basic unit of the Dark Order, had suddenly been promoted by The Commander. The next day, he was sent out into the field, with Butch and Cassidy as his subordinates. The Dark Order had taken control of most crime teams in the past five years, Team Rocket being one of the first to pledge allegiance to the cult-like organization. Not many of the Rockets had received the dark anointment of Master Brecht following the breaking of his seal, with Butch and Cassidy being one of the select few. That didn't stop Wade - who'd received some special skills of his own recently - from treating them like trash, however.

As the light at the end of the tunnel became closer and closer, Wade reached into his trench coat, pulling out a small, laptop-like device. Once the trio was officially out of the cave, he knelt down on the ground, opening it. At first, static occupied the screen, but after a few seconds, a masked face came into form, a figure Wade, Butch, and Cassidy knew all too well. The three of them knelt in front of the small laptop, bowing to their Commander.

"Heh... You're all kneeling for a face on a laptop." commented Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , amused. Of course he expected them to show respect, but he found the action funny nonetheless. "Ah, that's not important. Greetings, Wade. I see your travels have brought you to Kanto, as planned. Good. Were Boruto and Cassidy any trouble along the way?"

"Butch..."

"Shut it!" hissed Wade, glaring at Butch. He then returned his attention to the Commander. "Uh, besides some problems in the _chit chat_ department, no sir. Everything has gone smoothly since our deployment. Given there be no unexpected hindrances, we'll be arriving at our destination a few hours into the afternoon."

"And you think you'll have enough firepower to complete the mission?" asked the Commander, turning away from Wade.

Wade opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the Commander shifting his attention someone off-screen, thanking them, and quietly humming in excitement. The crinkling noise of a paper bag being opened could be heard, followed by some chewing, the slurping of a soft-drink, and more crinkling. The Commander then faced the screen once more.

"I only ask because, according to Dr. Feinberg and his lab," he continued, chewing. "there's a chance you'll run into some _tough_ opposition at Pallet Town. Never one to intentionally screw my subordinates over, I'm sending over one more companion to aid you for the rest of the mission. Just in case you-know-what hits the fan."

As the Commander spoke, Wade, Butch, and Cassidy noticed a mass of darkness forming in their peripheral vision. All three of them turned their heads to the left, watching as a shiny black boot emerged from the dark portal, followed by a hand dressed in a black glove. Seeming to already sense who it was, Butch and Cassidy immediately turned towards the portal, kneeling once more.

"The power he gained from Master Brecht's return surpasses that of which I gave you the other day, so if I were you, I'd treat him with a bit more respect than you do Broly and Cassidy there." added the Commander. "Anyway, that'll be all for now. Adios, Wade. You know what's expected of you."

The Commander then cut the connection on his end, returning the laptop screen to static. With that out of the way, Wade finally directed his full attention to the man who had stepped out of the portal. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the man. Though he did not kneel like Butch and Cassidy, he understood why the pair did. The man standing before them was none other than the stoic, intimidating leader of the Rockets himself, infused with the power of Dark Aura. And from what Wade could feel in the air... he'd been endowed with far more than Butch and Cassidy.

"It's an honor to have you join us, Giovanni, sir."

* * *

After such an _unexpected_ start to the morning, Ash had found his mind trapped in a constant cycle. All he kept thinking about was how he'd manage to save the world with both May and Serena in his fellowship, both girls having made out with him within his first 72 hours back in the material world. And unfortunately, neither of the kisses were bad. He'd thoroughly enjoyed both the girls' kisses, yet another sign that choosing between the two would possibly prove to be the one true challenge of his lifetime, surpassing that of his actual quest.

Once he'd finished making Billy breakfast, Ash remained in the living room, hoping Serena would come downstairs eventually. But she didn't. It was at this point that Pikachu had simply had enough of Ash thinking about Serena so much, so the yellow mouse went back upstairs to be with Sylveon. Hoping to pass some more time, Ash made his return to the kitchen, planning on making breakfast for both her and himself. He'd have made some for May, Max, and Brock too, but they'd already eaten before driving to Celadon.

 _"Speaking of which... they should be back soon."_ he thought, grabbing some waffle mix out of Brock's cabinet. _"We shouldn't stick around here much longer once they're back."_

 ** _"I agree. We should be able to reach Pallet Town by the evening, correct?"_** inquired Lucario.

 _"If we walk, yeah. But Brock will drive us. We should get there by noon."_ answered Ash, mixing the ingredients for the waffle batter.

 _ **"I see..."**_

 _"Lucario, can I ask you something?"_

 ** _"Yes?"_**

 _"If you were in my situation... romance-wise, what would you do?"_ asked Ash, pouring some batter into Brock's waffle iron. _**"** It's really hard for me to even think about this kind of stuff properly. I've never been good with or had much experience with girls at all, and now the only two I've ever felt more than a crush for have both shown interest in me, and are both coming with me on this journey. It's not something I can ignore, either. They both make me feel so... so genuinely, beautifully whole, they always have. But I can't have them both, and if I somehow do the impossible and choose one, the other is still going to be around me... I feel so trapped."_

 ** _"This isn't my area of expertise..."_**

 _"Anything helps."_ replied Ash, removing his waffle from the iron. He then poured the batter in for Serena's. _"What can I do?"_

 ** _"The answer will come with time. For now, I suggest you avoid committing to either of them, and use our quest as a way of taking your mind off it. Besides, defeating Master Brecht should be held paramount anyway. But, I will say this: there comes a risk if you were to choose the Maple girl."_**

 _"A risk?"_

 _ **"There is always a danger in mixing the blood of two different Aura clans. The combining of bloodlines always results in the birth of a powerful individual, such was the case with your own birth... as well as Master Brecht's. If you and her were to bear offspring, the child would inherit the power of not two, but three clans. It would be the first time in history such a combination would be conceived, and there is always danger when dealing with the unknown."**_

 _"I didn't even think of that..."_ thought Ash, removing Serena's waffle from the iron. _"That's_ _also really far down the road. But I appreciate your input."_

Lucario replied with a small hum, ending the conversation. Ash let out a sigh as he walked to Brock's fridge and pulled out some toppings to put on the waffles, leaving everything on the kitchen table before exiting. He made his way towards the stairs, but before he could walk up them, he was surprised to see Serena standing at the top, already dressed in her blue Fellowship cloak and ready to go. The two made eye contact, both of them feeling far too awkward to be the first to speak. But Ash knew the waffles would get cold if they stood there forever, so he took action.

"I, um... I made us breakfast." he said, as calmly as he could. "Waffles."

Serena's eyes widened a bit, seeming to be surprised. This caused Ash to panic.

"If you don't like waffles, uh, I could easily make something el-"

"I like waffles." interrupted Serena, blushing. "Thank you... Ash."

Serena made her way down the stairs, while Ash backed up a bit. Once she had finished, the honey blonde immediately headed for the kitchen, with Ash following. The two sat on opposite ends of the table, facing each other. Ash, a simple man, then topped his waffle with nothing but a slice of butter and some syrup, where Serena was far more involved with the topping of hers. Banana slices, brown sugar, whipped cream, chocolate chips... all these and more were included in her breakfast masterpiece.

"That's... that's quite the waffle there." commented Ash, chuckling a little.

Serena looked up, needing a second to herself to make sense of what Ash had said. Once she realized that her waffle was far more decked out than his, she managed to form a small smile of her own.

"Yeah." she answered, looking down at Ash's waffle. "Yours is very... classic."

"Yeah..." replied Ash.

The two sat in silence, eating their breakfast. Neither really knew what else to say next, but luckily eating the waffles served as an excuse not to talk. But the waffles only lasted so long. Before they knew it, they were both approaching their final bites. Ash finished first, immediately carrying his plate to the sink after. There were some dishes already in the sink, so he decided to wash them all. It was the least he could do for eating Brock's food without asking, not that Brock would have minded.

As he washed the dishes, he could hear Serena finishing her own food, picking up her plate, and approaching the sink. Planning on washing Serena's plate as well, Ash turned around to take it from her. This, of course, startled Serena, but only for a second. She then let go of the dish, giving it to Ash. But instead of walking away or... doing _anything_ that involved leaving the dishes to Ash, she stood next to the sink, grabbing a dry cloth nearby. One by one, she started drying the dishes Ash washed, neatly organizing them on the counter after.

This continued for a couple minutes, until finally...

"Ash..." murmured Serena, drying a bowl. "I'm sorry. About earlier."

Ash paused his dish washing, turning to Serena.

"I... I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have just walked out like that. I was just-"

"You don't have to apologize." sighed Serena, deciding to focus her eyes on the bowl she was holding. "I know you were overwhelmed. That was my fault, I just didn't know what I was doing... at all. I was thinking too much about myself... and not you, at least not in the right way. I know that you have a big heart, you always have. It's one that's big enough to care for me like I care for you... and then some. But looking back, it was always kind of obvious that you and May had a connection. The signs were everywhere. You never told me about her when we traveled together, yet you told me everything else. When we visited your house and she opened the door... you immediately changed. When she and Max came last night... you immediately changed. Correct me if I'm wrong... I know you're no womanizer, or anything like that. You just want to follow your heart; I can imagine that's hard to do when it's leading you in two different directions."

Ash was near speechless. Was this really happening? Was it really _that_ obvious the entire time? The idea of jumping off a cliff sounded more and more appealing by the second.

"Serena, I-"

"I just want you to know that I'm just following mine too. Following my heart is the reason I was able to find you. It was the reason I even set out to find you. No matter what happens or whatever you do, in the end, you'll still mean the world to me. As long as you're happy, I'll be happy. But... you'll have to choose eventually. Who or what _really makes_ you happy, I mean. You'll only ruin yourself if you stay stuck, and I don't want that for you."

Serena put the bowl down and turned to Ash, kissing him. Just then, the sound of Brock's car pulling into the driveway sounded, prompting the honey blonde to remove her lips from Ash's. Before Ash could do or say anything, she left the kitchen. As calmly as she had said it all, her words were not easy to say. It wasn't easy coming to terms with the reality of the situation, a reality she'd been in full denial of since the day she'd met May. But it all had to be said, in the exact way she'd said it. Part of her wanted to beg, but she had her dignity. Part of her wanted to highlight all her reasons why she saw herself as the better choice, but she had her maturity. Part of her just wanted to go back home to Kalos and forget it all happened... but she had her strength. And besides, hope for things to turn out in her favor wasn't lost by any definition of the word. May Maple wasn't the only girl Ash had feelings for.

As Serena walked by the front door, she saw the knob shaking, an unlocking noise being heard. The door then swung open, revealing none other than Brock, with May and Max behind him.

"Ah, Serena!" noted Brock, nodding at the ex-Pokemon Performer as he entered his home. "Good morning! I see you're all geared up and ready to go."

"Yup!" beamed Serena.

"Hi Serena." greeted Max, heading towards a couch in the living room. "Slept well?"

"Yes." she answered, smiling. "Like a rock, really."

"Yeah..." muttered Max under his breath, sitting on the arm of the couch. "*sigh* I'll bet you did..."

Serena then turned to the last person to enter the house. May stepped in, a pokedex in hand. She seemed to be paying a lot of attention to what was on the screen, so much that she kept on walking until she bumped into Serena. It was then that she looked up from the screen, startled.

"Hi May." greeted Serena, her tone a friendly one. "Long time, no see!"

Serena waited for May's response, but instead was met with a blank stare from May, a stare that slowly made its way all over Serena; from top, to bottom, back to top. May's lips then slowly curved into a sweet smile, the brunette wrapping her arms around the blonde in a very unexpected embrace. Not only was the embrace unexpected, it was rather snug, and lasted longer than it really should have.

"Hey! It's nice to see you again!" replied May, her head resting on Serena's shoulder. "...You look good with long hair."

"...Thanks."

It was then that Ash silently peeked out of the kitchen, having heard May and Serena interacting. He looked just in time to see, from his angle, Serena's slightly bothered expression regarding the hug, while Max, from the living room, had the perfect view of May's expression: a rather _pleased_ smile. Max raised an eyebrow at his sister, genuinely confused as to what was going on. In turn, May ignored his look and ended the hug.

"Well, Ash," said May, turning around. "now that our tickets are returned, Max and I are ready to go."

Ash's eyes widened, realizing May, who hadn't seen him since she'd come in, had spoken to him. Realizing she must have subconsciously sensed his presence with her Aura, Ash quietly stepped out of the kitchen, his Aura Guardian attire materializing around him. Once he reached the center of the foyer, Serena, May, and Max approached him, the four of them forming a circle. Despite the emotional roller-coaster that was his morning, Ash couldn't help but crack a smile; with all four of them sporting royal blue Guardian cloaks, the Fellowship of the Aura was finally starting to look legitimate. Aware it was time to head out, Pikachu and Serena's pokemon made their way down the stairs, the latter bunch being returned to pokeballs by Serena, while Pikachu climbed up to Ash's shoulder.

"Alright..." sighed Ash, cracking his knuckles. "Let's roll out."

* * *

 _[3 hours later...]_

The sun shone brightly overhead, the hour approaching 1pm. Brock had driven everyone as far as Viridian City before his car, in desperate need of an oil change, suddenly broke down on the side of the road. Needing to keep on the move when in public, Ash had been forced to make the executive decision to part ways with Brock at Viridian, the Fellowship finishing the journey on foot. The walk from Viridian to Pallet would extend their journey from a noon arrival time to a time more toward 1:30 or 2pm, which definitely put a slight damper on everyone's moods.

The walk was rather quiet considering there were four people present. In Brock's car, the radio had been there to fill in for silence, but on Route 1, there were no such tunes. Though there was definitely a hint of awkwardness in the air, it was not the reason for the silence. The quietness was born from the fact that each member of the Fellowship was deep in thought, all of their legs simply auto-piloting down the dirt road.

 _ **"One hand on the wheel, one hand on the steel, ya boi Pika's got a gun and Toad's got banana peels."** _ rapped Pikachu. _ **"I play Double Dash, vroom, swerve, now you crash, before the whole race I'll hit your tires with the slash. Truth is I'm just a thug that got blessed from above, item boxes bless up, man the game shows me love. Ridin' in the back is my sidekick Ash, he about to spit it fast, end the race with pizzazz."**_

 _"Here's a verse for you."_ started Ash, eyes narrow. _"I spoke it 20 times, I don't wanna spit no rhymes. You don't get what I've said? A chunk of lead's in your head. It's become a real chore, but I'mma stress it once more: Shut your fucking trap, I've had enough of all that. I wanna be mature, but I'm really unsure, I can't think clearly, my God, it's all a blur. Love is hard, it's a mess, I cannot worry less, shootin' right at my chest, 'need a bullet-proof vest. But for now, takin' shots, one by one, pop-pop, my emotions got the glock, trigger finger won't stop..."_

 _ **"...That was fire, bro."**_

 _"Yeah... I know."_ admitted Ash, sighing. _"But seriously... let's focus less on our non-existent hip-hop careers and more on world-saving and maintaining my sanity, okay?"_

 ** _"I'll think about it."_** replied Pikachu, looking around. His eyes then fixed on Max, who seemed to be looking at Ash out of the corner of his eye. **_"What'cha think Yung Four-Eyes over there is thinking about? I just peeped him staring."_**

 _"I dunno..."_ answered Ash, keeping his gaze ahead. _"Maybe he's thinking about how this is like old times, when we used to travel together. He's probably having fun."_

 _"This is ridiculously boring. No one's talking."_ thought Max, sneaking glances at May, Ash, and Serena. _"It's like watching paint dry. Except there's a love triangle between the paint drying on the other three walls of the room, while I, the fourth wall, am wishing to get a TV installed on me."_

 _ **"Max, I'm not sure that simile made perfect sense..."**_ replied Gardevoir.

 _"Well, neither does that hickey I spotted on Ash's neck a couple seconds ago."_ retorted Max, adjusting his glasses. _"It wasn't there last night, and certainly wasn't there when May, Brock, and I left this morning."_

 ** _"That is none of your business, Max. Don't start."_**

 _"I'm not starting anything..."_ thought the bespectacled teen, rolling his eyes. _"It's just that Ash's Aura has changed drastically from before he had that hickey, as has Serena's. Something happened while we were gone. Probably some awkward moves made by Serena, which probably reduced Ash's brain to a pile of California raisins, considering May just kissed him last night. And if the Auras don't support my claim enough, look at their faces. Ash just looks... stuck. And Serena's been blankly staring straight ahead, obviously deep in thought about something, or someone. My guess is Ash."  
_

 _"May... is weird."_ thought Serena, her eyes focusing on the brunette, who was staring at the ground as she walked. _"She's just as friendly as she was five years ago, but something's off... no, more than one thing is off. Even five years ago, something was off. I saw her taking those pills... What was that about? Should I ask? Ugh, I don't think it's my place. Yesterday, Ash said her Aura is unstable, and Max said she's been through a lot. But she seems pretty okay from what I've seen... The smile she gave me at Brock's house earlier was genuine from what I could tell. But... it was weird. That whole thing was weird. The hug... it felt too friendly. I'd say I don't understand how Ash has similar feelings for me and someone as off-putting as her, but she is pretty, and I don't know their history, so I guess it's not unfathomable. I wonder what she's thinking abou-"_

"Serena?" uttered May, breaking the hour-long silence.

"Y-yes?"

"You're staring at me." stated May, a smile on her face. "Are you okay?"

At this point, Ash and Max were now watching/listening as they walked, both deciding not to speak up just yet. Meanwhile, Serena's eyes widened, her mouth slightly open. _There it was again._ May's smile... it was laced with something the honey blonde just couldn't put her finger on. Whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable.

"I'm okay!" answered Serena quickly, not realizing she'd been staring. "Um, I was just gonna ask... who's better at using Aura, you or Max?"

May's smile grew.

"I can't use it at all." she answered. "Not at will, at least. So the answer to that question would be Max, even though he's nowhere near as good as he makes himself seem to be."

"Why did you feel the need to add that?" grumbled Max, adjusting his glasses.

"But luckily," continued May, completely ignoring Max. "Ash is going to teach me how. That way, I can fight and defend myself and not be completely and utterly useless. Right, Ash?"

"Yes." answered Ash, wanting as little a part of the conversation as possible. "I wouldn't word it like that though..."

"I see..." replied Serena, her voice trailing off.

May's smile lingered a for a bit, her gaze slowly sliding from Serena, to Ash, then back to the ground below. Serena resumed her gaze to straight forward, Pallet Town but a small dot in the distance. It was finally visible. Such a sight sent a surge of relief through the honey blonde's body, for finally, the most awkward walk of her entire life was finally reaching the home stretch. Hopefully, she mused, things would be less awkward as the days went on. There were still four more members to add to the Fellowship, if Ash himself was not counted as one of the seven. But was he? It was more or less unclear to Serena. Regardless, more people were coming, and more people meant less tension. Hopefully.

Silence regained its control on the atmosphere for the remaining moments of the walk, until Pallet Town was close enough that nearly the entire layout of the small town was visible. As always, it was quiet and humble... emphasis on "quiet" this time around. Max looked around, his eyes fixing on the largest building in the town. He raised an eyebrow.

"Professor Oak's lab is looking... uncharacteristically serene." he noted. "None of Ash's pokemon are in the field..."

"There's nothing to worry about." said Ash, waving his hand in dismissal. "Gary used to return them all to their balls and bring them inside twice a week, they'd get in the way of lab maintenance procedures if he didn't. That's probably what's going on. But he's sure as hell gonna let them out once I go there later, because I can't wait to see all of my..."

Ash trailed off, stopping dead in his tracks. Something about the lab had suddenly urged him to focus his senses, shutting out almost everything around him as his eyes took on an azure glow. If there was one thing his masters had stressed in the Corridors of the Aura, it was to always trust his senses when they tingled. This was undoubtedly one of those times, because boy, were they _tingling_.

Serena frowned, confused as to why Ash hadn't finished his sentence.

"Ash...?"

"Ash," muttered Max, staring at the Oak lab with glowing blue eyes of his own. "I'm sure you feel that, right...?"

 _ **"Something is wrong."**_ added Lucario. _**"I sense darkness... coming from that building."**_

 _ **"I feel it too."**_ agreed Pikachu, ears twitching. **_"It feels like trouble. Like, actual trouble."_**

 _"Ugh... Reuniting with Mom will have to wait."_ thought Ash, frowning. "Yes, Max. I feel it."

Serena, unable to sense anything supernatural, looked at everyone, confused. Ash and Max were obviously on high alert, their sights set on the lab. Even May, who supposedly had little to no control over her Aura, seemed to be looking at the lab in curiosity. From these observations, Serena made the decision to reach into her cloak and pull out one of her knives, her other hand removing Braixen's pokeball off her belt.

Ash grabbed his staff off his back, taking a deep breath.

"Wait here, guys. I'm gonna go check it ou-"

Ash was cut off by the sound and sight of one of the lab's walls being blown open from the inside, debris flying outwards in various directions. Close enough to get pelted by a few stray pieces, Ash put a hand forward, creating a protective wall of Aura over his companions. Through Ash's construct, they could see dust and smoke billowing out of the hole in the lab, the malicious red glow of Dark Aura emanating from it. They also saw that, among the rubble scattered everywhere, there was a man with brown hair in a white lab coat face down on the ground. It seemed he'd been inside the lab before one of its walls had been obliterated.

"Sure, blow an enormous hole in my wall..." groaned the man, rubbing his head. "It's not like I'll have to _pay for the motherfucking repairs_ at all. Fuckin' jackass..."

"Dr. Oak, I believe the blow to your wallet should be the least of your worries right now..." sounded a voice from inside the lab.

The red glow in the lab began to move and concentrate to a single point, forming a small red circle glowing through the smoke. Recognizing this as the forming of a Dark Aura Sphere, Ash leaped into action, landing in between the brown-haired man and the lab. It was then that the dark sphere was sent, only to be backhand swatted away by Ash.

"Ash Ketchum... the Chosen Guardian of the Aura..." spoke the unknown voice once more, its owner stepping out of the lab and into the sunlight. "I was hoping I'd get to see you here. It's been a while."

" _Giovanni?_ " asked Ash, genuinely surprised.

"Ash _Ketchum?_ " asked the brown-haired man, sitting up. "Ashy-boy? What the, YOU'RE ALIVE? WHAT?!... Pfft, actually, this makes sense. Given that a mystical wizard man appeared 5 years ago and killed you, it's not completely far-fetched that you'd return from the dead to save me from an evil crime-boss warlock. Poetic, almost. Anyway, this is a pretty realistic dream; 'wonder when I'll wake up. Definitely the closest I've been to lucid dreamin-"

"Heh, it's not a dream, Gary," said an amused Ash, looking over his shoulder. His amusement was short-lived, however. "I'm... really... here..."

Ash and Pikachu stared down at Gary's face, mouths slightly agape. Remembering experiences of their own, Serena and the Maples could more or less understand why Ash was staring at Gary. A faint blue glow seemed to be coming from Gary's forehead, a phenomenon all three of them had seen before. The only one completely lost was Gary. Having no idea what was going on, he simply blinked his eyes.

"What? Something on my dream-face, dream-Ash?" inquired Gary, pulling out his cell phone. Through the screen's reflection alone, he could see a blue, glowing number 6 on his forehead. "How the hell are you gonna tell me this isn't a dream? I have a goddamn luminescent prison tattoo on my forehead for crying out loud."

"No wonder the Commander sent us to dispose of this runt and his lab..." sounded yet another new voice, though its newness varied from person to person. "He's one of the Chosen Guardian's prophesied lackeys."

May and Max both took steps forward at the sound of the voice, though May seemed far more alarmed by it than Max. From the smoldering lab emerged Wade, followed by Butch and Cassidy. But the latter two didn't matter. It was Wade that the two siblings had directed their full attentions towards. Making eye contact with May first, Wade smirked. But as soon as he saw Max, his smirk made a complete 180 degree turn into a hard scowl, the spot where his original right hand used to be suddenly tingling.

"We meet again, Max..." he seethed. He then looked back at May, his smirk returning. "...and Rachel."

Serena furrowed her eyebrows. _"Rachel?"_

Apparently the name had some sort of significance with May, for the sound of it prompted a small shudder from the brunette, one that didn't go unnoticed by Serena... or Ash.

"Enough talk." uttered Giovanni, returning everyone's attention to him. "Wade, Byakugan, Cassidy... do as you please. Just leave the Chosen Guardian to me... I'll dispose of him and his worthless Pikachu, just like I did in Unova. We'll kill them all here and bring the bodies back to HQ, securing Master Brecht's impending conquest of the world. And I'll personally deliver Ketchum's corpse to him at first chance."

 _ **"Ohohohoh, those are some fightin' words."**_ growled Pikachu, sparks flying from his cheeks. **_"Those are some GODDAMN fightin' words..."_**

 _"Damn right they are."_ answered Ash, gripping his staff.

From behind him, he heard the sounds of his comrades unleashing their various pokemon, as well as the sound of Gary, dreaming or not, moving to safer ground. In front of him, he saw Giovanni, Butch, and Cassidy powering up with Dark Aura, Giovanni's crimson display vastly larger than that of the other two's combined. Meanwhile, Wade hung back, a suspiciously confident grin on his face. This didn't bother our heroes, however: a severe beating was about to be dished out regardless of his grins. Ash responded to the enemies' actions with a ground-shaking power up of his own, with Pikachu hopping off his shoulder and onto the ground, ready to attack.

The bells of battle had begun to ring, all warriors present answering the call.

* * *

 **Well, that's that! I really try my hardest with every chapter for this story, and I hope you all enjoyed. I'm pretty excited to write the next chapter, because good golly gosh do I love writing fights. They're not easy to write for me, but they're so exciting that I usually push through. Anyway, we now have Gary in the Fellowship. Neat. He's actually the character I'm most excited to write about going forward, since, like Serena, he has no Aura capabilities, but will show, in his own way, that he's useful. But...**

 **What trick does Wade have up his sleeve?**

 **What's May's deal?**

 **Will anyone ever get Butch's name right?**

 **Find out the answer to all these questions and more in the next chapter of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura!**

 **Ta ta,**

 **~DarkSlash9**


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